lack of textbooks and shortage of teachers will mark the start of new academic session on Monday in more than one lakh Government schools in the State.
The School Education Department would not be able to provide textbooks to thousands of Government school students in 20 districts of the State as the State Textbook Corporation has failed to supply in time the textbooks for class I to VII in these districts.
The districts include Ujjain, Guna, Dindori, Anuppur, Khandwa, Shahdol, Dewas, Shajapur, Jhabua, Rewa, Mandla, Singrauli, Sheopur, Neemuch, Khargaun, Sagar, Damoh, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur and Panna.
Textbooks of major subjects including Social Sciences, Sciences, Mathematics, Hindi, English among others for many Classes from I to VIII are yet to be supplied to schools in these districts.
Notably, the matter of non-availability of textbooks was raised by the respective District Project Coordinators in video-conferencing with Rajya Shiksha Kendra (RSK) officials on June 14.
The RSK has directed State Textbook Corporation to supply the required books within 10 days.
However, it is highly unlikely if the books would be available before month end.
Under the ‘Nishulk Pathya-pustak Viataran Yojna 2013-14’ (Free Textbook Distribution Scheme), the school education department provides free of cost textbooks to students in all Government schools and also in schools affiliated to the state Madrsa Board and Sanskrit Board.
Beside textbooks, the students will also face crisis due to lack of sufficient number of school teachers more than one lakh posts of school teachers are lying vacant in the State due to delay by the State Government in recruiting new teachers.
In absence of regular teachers, guest teachers will be appointed but such appointments will take time.
Meanwhile, sources in Adhyapak Samvida Sanyukta Morcha, the teacher’s organisation that had spearheaded more than a month-long strike demanding ‘equal pay for equal work’ for all teachers and regularisation of services of contract teachers informed that due to dilly-dallying by State Government on their demands, the organisation might launch another series of agitations.
This indicates that Government school students are face to face with a rough sail in the new session.