Textbook distribution among the students of pre-primary to secondary level has been started from the first day of the New Year.
Many schools across the country began distribution of free textbooks from Friday while others will begin it from today (Saturday).
However, the textbooks are not being distributed by holding book festivals like in other years due to the coronavirus.
This year, the government has decided to hand over books to guardians and students in phases due to the pandemic. The textbooks will be distributed among the students at the respective educational institutions in 12 days to avoid any kind of gathering.
It was learnt that primary level books will be distributed within three days and secondary level books will be distributed in 12 days among the students.
The government has already taken all-out measures to distribute new textbooks among 4.5 crore students of the primary and secondary levels free of cost.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the free textbook distribution through videoconferencing from her official residence Ganabhaban on Thursday. The book distribution ceremony was held at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC) in the city.
While visiting a number of schools in the capital on Friday, this reporter found government schools distributing free textbooks maintaining hygiene rules.
However, apart from some renowned private institutions, many non-government schools were closed due to holiday.
Talking to authorities concerned, it was garnered that they will start it from today (Saturday).
According to the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, the demand for textbooks for primary students in 2021 is 10 crore 25 lakh 82 thousand and 555.
Of those, 2 crore 59 lakh 92 thousand 671 books are for the first and second grade students, while 6 crore 96 lakh 97 thousand 374 books are for the third, fourth and fifth grade students.
2,13,288 books printed in indigenous languages will be distributed to 94,275 ethnic students (Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Garo and Sadri) from pre-primary to third grade, and the books have been printed in five languages.
This time Braille books will be distributed to 9,196 visually impaired students.
According to the Ministry of Education, in the academic year of 2021, 24 crore 33 lakh 34 thousand copies of books will be printed for the secondary level students.
In the last ten years since 2010, about 331.47 crore primary and secondary books have been distributed across the country.
About the new textbooks, National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) Chairman Narayan Chandra Saha said, “On the occasion of the ‘Mujib Year’, novelty has been brought on the cover of the books this time.”
“Still images of pictures of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Independence, Great Liberation War, Language Movement and various development projects of the present government have been printed with captions on the back page of the textbooks,” he added.
