Bangladesh's Interim Government Fails Again to Distribute Textbooks to Millions
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Synopsis
The interim government in Bangladesh has once again failed to distribute textbooks to millions of students, causing distress and uncertainty. Despite assurances from officials, delivery deadlines have been missed, impacting educational progress significantly.
Key Takeaways
- Government Delay: Textbook distribution deadlines have been repeatedly missed.
- Student Impact: Many students are unable to keep up with their studies.
- Incomplete Deliveries: A significant number of textbooks remain unprinted.
- Financial Strain: Lack of resources hampers student access to study materials.
- Frustration: Parents and students are expressing growing concerns over the situation.
Dhaka, March 6 (NationPress) The interim government in Bangladesh, led by Muhammad Yunus, has once again faltered in its commitment to distribute textbooks to millions of students across the country, causing significant distress and uncertainty about their educational future.
After missing the January deadline, former Education Advisor Wahiduddin Mahmud announced that the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) would ensure the distribution of all 40.15 crore textbooks by February.
Unfortunately, local media reports indicate that this deadline has also been overlooked.
A student shared with the prominent Bangladeshi newspaper, The Daily Star, "Our teachers only teach the subjects for which we have books. After that, they send us home. I've learned that students in other schools are encountering the same problem."
Initially, optimism was high when top officials from the Education Ministry and NCTB, along with other representatives of the interim government, assured that all students would have their textbooks by February.
However, the ongoing delays continue to threaten the educational progress of countless students.
According to data from the NCTB, as of February 19, around 70 million (7 crore) textbooks still need to be printed, predominantly for secondary education, as reported by the leading daily, Prothom Alo.
Last month, a frustrated student told The Business Standard: "Of our 10 main books, we only received two in the first week of January. Over the next month, we got four more. Yet, several essential books, including core subjects like Mathematics and English, are still missing."
"Nearly half of the students in our class lack access to either smartphones for PDFs or unauthorized textbooks. Consequently, our teachers have been unable to provide comprehensive lessons. We are uncertain about how much of the syllabus we will need to cover for the half-yearly exams scheduled for June," she added.
In January, the Divisional Primary Education Office reported that only 49 percent of primary and 8.8 percent of secondary textbooks were delivered in Barisal, according to The Dhaka Tribune.
In some regions, only a few books have been delivered, while many others have seen no textbooks at all. Students and parents alike have voiced their frustrations, noting that a significant number have not received a single book.
