The primary and mass education ministry has decided to distribute the latest edition of Bangla textbooks for class I to 37 lakh students out of 44 lakh and the previous edition to the rest.

The decision was made, according to the National Curriculum and Textbook Board, to save money as there were around seven lakh extra copies of the Bangla textbooks printed in 2006 in its store. The board also says it has taken necessary steps so that children who will receive the old books get correction pages containing the changes incorporated in the latest edition.

One textbook board official has said teachers have already been asked to sew or glue the [correction] pages to the [old] textbooks. Some schoolteachers, however, feel it will create confusion among the students as they will have books containing old and new bits of information on the same topic. Their concerns are quite justified.

There are a couple of questions that need answers in this regard. First, why were so many extra copies printed in 2006? Second, why the textbook board made the decision almost one month and a half into the academic year? Clearly, it boils down to lack of coordination between the relevant wings of the government such as the primary and mass education ministry and the textbook board. Also, officials concerned have time and again displayed lack of discipline and sincerity in discharging their responsibilities.

Overall, some seven lakh students are inconvenienced because of the collective and individual failure of the ministry and board. This is not acceptable.

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