Yet another failure in NCTB cap

THE textbook crisis seems to be turning graver by the day as the government appears to be at a complete loss and failing to find any headway to improve the situation. The authorities concerned are already in a muddle regarding availability of the Bengali version textbooks, which are no doubt more essential than English textbooks. But it does not help matters that they have failed to publish secondary level English textbooks on time. These are generally sold to students of English-medium schools and kindergartens that offer education in keeping with the board curriculum. As is reported in New Age on January 25, even about a month into the 2009 academic year, students of these educational institutions are unable to buy those textbooks mainly because the translators failed to meet their deadline. Of course, there were other problems too. Private printers and publishers were ‘reluctant’ to participate in the tenders, and the National Curriculum and Textbook Board failed to even roughly estimate the demand for English books and, according to the textbook board’s chairman, was ‘hesitating’ to print a large number of books and have them pile up in warehouses fearing audit objections.
The reasons are outrageously lame and reveal nothing but sheer incompetence and irresponsibility of the textbook board. It also suggests that instead of facilitating education the board has been consistently successful in creating hurdles for those who seek education. Without textbooks, guardians are left with no other option but to go for unauthorised English translations and notebooks. It may be noted that printing and marketing of notebooks for students up to class eight was banned in 1988 with stipulation of tough punishment for offenders. But as the guardians are forced to buy these books, the publishers do not want to lag behind either in making quick bucks by printing them and the authorities concerned cannot but remain silent regarding this malpractice as they themselves are responsible for the entire mess.
The government must take this issue seriously and demand an explanation from the board. As is learnt from the report, the authorities also failed to publish the English textbooks on time in 2008, and also in 2007. If the newly elected government is at all sincere in addressing what seems to have become a phenomenon, it must bring together all the resources under the disposal of the education ministry and make the sluggish institutions work more effectively.