A LARGE number of primary students across the country have lost two academic months as the government has failed to print and distribute textbooks in a timely manner. In 2023, the National Curriculum and Textbook Board was scheduled to distribute 33,91,12,300 textbooks among more than four crore pre-primary, primary, secondary, secondary vocational, ebtedayee, dakhil vocational, ethnic minority and visually challenged students throughout the country. The board observed the National Textbook Festival on January 1 without ensuring complete distribution of the books to students. In Bhola, Khagrachari and Satkhira districts, education officials have acknowledged that they are lagging behind in distributing books. The Bangladesh Printing Industry Association and Textbook Printers and Markets Association of Bangladesh confirmed that some two crore textbooks are yet to be printed.  However, NTCB members claim that, with the exception of Satkhira district, they have not received any complaints about learning loss due to a lack of textbooks. When students across the country have already lost two academic months, the NTCB members’ claim is truly unsettling and suggestive of their lack of commitment to the cause of universal primary and secondary education.

The delay in the distribution of textbooks has become an annual event. In 2023, the government was late initiating the tender process, the issuance of work orders, and other necessary tasks related to the printing of such a large volume of textbooks. Printing had started as late as November 2022. Many printers have slowed down the printing process due to high paper prices and continuous load shedding, while some did not sign the contract even after winning a tender. The president of the Bangladesh Printing Industry Association said that the government has awarded a tender to printing presses that lack the capacity to take on the job of printing national textbooks. Moreover, the government has not taken any action against the printing companies that have failed to meet the deadline. The chaos in the printing of textbooks that is witnessed almost every year suggests that the government is more interested in promoting the free textbook distribution programme than ensuring its actual implementation, which is to distribute free books and create universal access to textbooks for primary and secondary school students. The academic loss caused by a lack of access to textbooks is especially concerning given that school students in Bangladesh are already suffering from learning loss as a result of the Covid outbreak.

The government must, under the circumstances, take the issue of students’ learning loss seriously and resolve issues such as the unavailability of paper, the abnormal increase in paper prices, power outage and administrative complications to ensure immediate access to textbooks for students across the country. The authorities must monitor the progress of the printing of textbooks, so that students get them without any further delay. Considering the significance of primary and secondary education in children’s upbringing, the government must abandon its lacklustre approach to drafting and publishing of textbooks.