The Nepal Weekly 
June 21, 2022There is a shortage of textbook in Baitadi and many other districts. Even though the new academic session has started from May (Jestha 1), the textbooks have not reached the schools. Thus, the students are forced to read without books.
Minister for Education, Science and Technology Devendra Poudel said that the textbooks could not be delivered to the students on time as the academic session started a month ago. This was stated by Minister Poudel while responding to the queries raised by the Lawmakers during the discussion under the Appropriation Bill, 2079 BS in June 14 meeting of the House of Representatives. He informed that the school was closed for a long time during the academic session in 2078 BS due to covid-19. He said that the new academic session supposed to start from the first week of June(Aasar), but government decided to start schools from May(Jestha). Poudel also said that the printing of the text books was delayed due to the war in Russia and Ukraine.
The government is going to start printing school level textbooks in all the seven state levels from this year. In order to manage free textbooks for students in the academic session 2079, the textbooks from grades 1 to 12 will be printed and distributed by the state owned Janak Shiksha Samagri Kendra Limited but arrangements have been made to print and distribute the textbooks of class 1-3 through private publication and books of class 11 and 12 through cooperatives publication.
A total of 1 9.6 million textbooks should be printed and distributed from the center for students of class 4-10 . However, so far only 7 million units have been printed and distributed, while the rest are in the process of being completed. Minister Poudel also said that although the budget allocation in the education sector was not as expected, the highest amount was allocated for the Ministry of Education as compared to other ministries.
