Academic session begins, Punjab govt school students without books

Karam Prakash

Patiala, April 13

A week after the new academic session kicked off, lakhs of students studying in government schools are still without books.

The Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) has failed to provide textbooks to the poor students for the ongoing academic session.

May take another 10 days

We are making efforts to supply textbooks to district headquarters by April 20. We are hoping that students will get textbooks in the next 10 days. Dr Yograj, Chairman, PSEB

Dr Yograj, chairman, PSEB, said they make efforts to supply textbooks to the district headquarters by April 20. He said, “We are hoping that students will get the textbooks in the next 10 days.”

The Punjab School Education Board prints and supplies books to the Education Department for further distribution among students — free of cost.

It has been learnt that some students of non-board classes have borrowed textbooks from their seniors as a temporary arrangement. New students of board classes are worst affected because they cannot even borrow textbooks from old students as they have their examinations next month.

Blaming the government for the delay in providing textbooks to students, the teachers alleged the newly formed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which came to power with a promise to improve the education sector seems to have failed in their first test.

Vikram Dev, state president, Democratic Teachers Front (DTF), said the PSEB should print and send the textbooks to block levels a week before the session begins so that students do not suffer. “Not even a single textbook has been provided to students so far. Teachers can’t teach if each student does not have his textbook in his hand.”