When will textbook crisis finally end for students?

NCTB chief says books could be delivered within February if publishers were more sincere

January has come and gone, yet frustration lingers as the academic year enters its second month without enough textbooks to go around.

The interim government and printing authorities urge patience, insisting the “crisis” will be resolved soon.

This year, 401.5 million textbooks are slated for printing.

By Feb 5, about half had been distributed, but many students are still missing key subjects.

While 80 percent of primary school textbooks have arrived, secondary school students are stuck waiting for 40 percent of theirs.

The National Curriculum and Textbook Board, or NCTB, promises all books will be available by mid-February, but printing houses caution that delays may stretch into March.

According to the NCTB, the shortage stems from the time needed to revise the curriculum and begin printing after the government transition sparked by mass uprisings.

Wealthier families have found a workaround by printing PDFs from the NCTB website, though this solution is not feasible for low-income households.

Printing a single grade’s set of books costs Tk 4,000 to Tk 4,500—a price out of reach for many.

In rural areas, teachers say the scarcity of textbooks has already led to lower attendance, raising fears that the dropout rate may climb in the coming months.

HALF OF TEXTBOOKS DELIVERED AFTER FIRST MONTH

According to NCTB data, out of the 401.5 million copies of books, only 194.9 million copies had reached students by the first week of February.

Of the 91.95 million copies for primary school, 73.93 million have already been distributed.

For secondary school, out of the 309.6 million copies, around 40 percent or 121.04 million copies have been delivered to students.

NCTB Production Controller Abu Naser Tuku told bdnews24.com, “Out of 91.95 million copies for primary, 73.93 million had reached the Upazila level by Tuesday.

“Over 80 percent of primary school books are now in students' hands.”

He added that most books for classes 1-3 have been delivered, with all books for the first 70 lots in these grades already at the Upazila level. An additional 87 percent of the remaining 27 lots have been sent out.

"About 20 percent of the pre-primary books, 40 percent of the fourth and fifth-grade books, and nearly 40 percent of the first to fifth-grade books for the ebtedayi level are still being prepared.

“We expect to deliver all the books to students by the 15th of February."

NCTB Distribution Controller Md Hafizur Rahman said out of the 309.6 million secondary books, 121.1 million copies have already reached the Upazila level.

A total of 152.02 million copies have been printed so far.

He added, “All the books for grade 10 have been delivered. Three books for grades 6, 7, and 8 were sent earlier, and the rest are still being processed. Some books for grade 9 are yet to be completed.”

RISING CONCERNS OVER STUDENT DROPOUT

While the NCTB claims that almost all books for grades 1-3 and grade 10 students have been delivered, students in other grades have received only two or three books.

Naznin Mahal, a doctor in Dhaka, has two children, both studying in the 6th grade at different schools.

She said her daughter at Viqarunnisa Noon School and College’s Bashundhara branch, received books for Bengla, English, and Mathematics, while her son at Adamjee Cantonment Public School only received the Bengla book.

As the second month of the academic year progresses, Naznin is concerned about her children falling behind without their textbooks.

She said, "Without books, they’re falling behind. They don’t even feel like sitting down to study. I’m thinking of downloading the PDFs from NCTB’s website and printing them out.

“But printing one set costs around Tk 4,500. While we can manage, others who can’t afford it will be left in a difficult position.”

Fazilatun Nahar Shammi, a parent of a seventh grader at Ideal School and College, Banasree Branch, said: "They’ve received Bengla, English, and Mathematics books. So, I’ve had to print parts of other books from PDFs. I also borrowed some old books from the 2012 curriculum from acquaintances."

Tahmina Begum, a parent of a ninth grader from Kumarkhali upazila in Kushtia, told bdnews24.com: "Although my child has received textbooks for Bangla, English, and Mathematics, the other books have not been provided yet.

"As the ninth grade is the first year of subject stream division, there is a fear of falling behind. I’ve had to print some portions to keep up."

Mohammad Habibullah Raju, an assistant teacher at Khalilpur High School in Pabna’s Sujanagar, said students from grades six to eight have received books in three subjects, but not the others.

Ninth and tenth-grade students in Science and Business Studies received either two or three subject books.

However, students in the Humanities haven’t received any subject-specific books at all.

"Due to the lack of books, students are unwilling to come to school. Attendance is very low," he added.

Habibullah, who also serves as the president of the Bangladesh Teachers Forum said: "The lack of books is leading to concerns about student dropout rates. Subjects like Physics, Accounting, Mathematics, and Science have not been significantly revised.

“If these books had been printed earlier, the crisis could have been somewhat alleviated."

WAITING PERIOD LIKELY TO EXTEND

Although NCTB officials assured the students that all books would reach by mid-February, printing houses fear the wait might stretch further.

Tofayel Khan, owner of Rupali Printing Press, which prints books for grades pre-primary to tenth, and former president of the Printing Industry Association of Bangladesh and the Bangladesh Textbook Printing and Marketing Association, or BTPMA, said: "Given the current pace of work, students will likely receive all their books by the second week of March.

“The delay in printing started due to the time needed to revise the books, which led to printing starting much later than usual. While printing usually starts in July, this time it began in December, causing this crisis."

He pointed out that a paper shortage has also added to the crisis. “The NCTB is assisting us with paper imports, which are expected to arrive in mid-February.

“However, if the paper is provided to us in three instalments, we’ll receive the full supply only by the end of February.”

Another hurdle, according to Tofayel, is the increased demand for guidebooks under the revised curriculum.

“Guidebook publishers have been hiring our workers for night shifts, which has led to a labour shortage. With both paper and worker scarcity, we can't operate at full capacity.”

Financial constraints have further complicated the situation. “Banks are citing liquidity issues and holding back our loan disbursements. The NCTB has stepped in, negotiating with banks to fast-track Tk 40 million in loans, which I truly appreciate.”

He cautioned that if these issues persist, book distribution could be pushed back even further.

“If we get the required paper on time, and the liquidity and labour problems are resolved, we can wrap up printing by early March.

“But if the crisis deepens, it could take the entire month, delaying book distribution until April.”

Sheikh Siraj Uddin, managing director of Letter n Colour Limited, another printing company assigned to publish primary and secondary textbooks, told bdnews24.com: “Despite all the hurdles, we’re pushing forward. Hopefully, students will have their books in hand by early March.”

EFFORTS TO DELIVER ALL BOOKS WITHIN FEBRUARY

Although NCTB Chairman AKM Riazul Hasan was supposed to retire on Jan 26, the government extended his term by two more months due to the ongoing textbook crisis.

It also has taken steps to speed up the printing process, including facilitating loans, assisting with paper imports, and taking a firm stance against guidebooks.

Riazul told bdnews24.com, "We’re coordinating with publishers to get the work done as quickly as possible. There was a shortage of art paper, but the government intervened to resolve that.

“We’ve been in talks with banks to expedite loan disbursements, and steps have been taken to help with paper imports.”

He believes that if the publishers show more commitment, it will be possible to deliver all textbooks to students within February.

The NCTB chief continued, “The publishers’ claims of delays aren’t entirely accurate. If they put in a bit more effort, all the books can be delivered within this timeframe.

Books for grades 1, 2, and 3 have already been distributed. Books for pre-primary, grades 4 and 5 will be sent at the start of February.

For grades 6, 7, and 9, some books are already with students, and the remaining ones will be sent within Feb 15,” he concluded.

[Writing in English by Sheikh Fariha Bristy]