Delays Expected in Distributing Revised Textbooks Amid Printing Challenges

News Desk

The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) had initially pledged to deliver all textbooks to students by the start of the new academic year. However, they now anticipate that the distribution of 401.6 million books will be delayed until late January.

Printing stakeholders believe that distributing all books before February will be challenging due to curriculum revisions, delays in receiving manuscripts, and other obstacles. Observations from printing facilities reveal that it will not be possible to distribute all books before February.

This year, it took five months to finalize the revisions and send them for printing. Visits to several printing presses in Dhaka revealed that while primary school textbooks are being printed, secondary-level books are yet to enter production. NCTB Chairman Professor Dr. A.K.M. Riazul Hasan acknowledged the delays and expressed hope to complete distribution by January 20.

Following a political shift on August 5, 2023, the interim government scrapped the new experience-based curriculum launched earlier that year, reverting to the 2012 curriculum. The revised textbooks reached printing presses in November, months later than usual.

Unlike previous years, no portion of this year’s textbooks was printed in India. Domestic printers are handling the entire workload, increasing costs by 7 billion BDT.

Printing house representatives cited delays in obtaining NCTB approval, paper shortages, power outages, and loan challenges as reasons for slow progress.

Anowar Hossain, Vice President of the Bangladesh Printing Industry Association, said, “We have yet to receive full approval for secondary-level books. Paper shortages and power disruptions are hindering progress, and it will take until February to complete.”

The NCTB prioritized Bengali, English, and Mathematics for secondary levels to expedite their distribution. Despite these efforts, the delay has raised concerns among parents, students, and educators.

Revised books feature notable changes, including the removal of political images and the addition of anti-government movement graffiti. Historical content, such as the Liberation War and contributions of key figures, has been retained, while some new content reflecting recent political events has been added.

The NCTB assures that the quality of books is being monitored by third-party inspection agencies, with printing facilities only beginning work after receiving approval for materials.