NEW DELHI: With more than 80% of the teaching faculty across government schools in Delhi deployed for SIR duties and a lack of access to physical textbooks, students of Classes VI, VII, VIII and IX taking second semester exams have been left to fend for themselves. Most of them are struggling to navigate the curriculum through NCERT e-books on their phones.
Textbooks across all subjects are published in three languages: Hindi, English, and Urdu. But social sciences textbooks (Volume II, covering history & geography) for Classes VI, VII, & VII, as well as the mathematics Volume II book for Class IX, have not yet reached schools.
Discussing the issue, the principal of a government school, rued, “Unfortunately, it has been common for students in government schools to receive their textbooks late. Semesters and terms get over, but the wait for the books goes on and on.” She added,
“It’s a depressing situation—children are studying from downloaded NCERT books on a limited number of phones that they are sharing. What adds to their plight is the lack of adequate teaching faculty, as 90% of them are occupied in SIR-related work. No additional guest faculty was hired to manage the classes.”
Echoing the same opinion, Ajay Veer, general secretary of the government school teachers’ association, said, “We write to the director of education several times about these issues, but the administrators are too busy to understand the crisis right now in schools. They must be thinking: ‘When there is no faculty in schools, why will children require books in the first place?”
He added, “What’s funny is that the government managed to distribute cycles among female students but could not ensure the timely delivery of textbooks. How are they studying? How are they even taking the examinations? It hardly matters to the government.” Veer stressed, “Education minister Ashish Sood should consider the issue of lack of books for school students ‘very, very serious’.”
Ashok Agrawal, educationist and president of the All India Parents Association, alleged that government school teachers are selectively targeted for non-academic duties, compromising students’ education.
Meanwhile, speaking to this newspaper on the condition of anonymity, another school principal said, “The Delhi Books Bureau has asked all principals to purchase the books directly from now on.”
Teachers’ body slams government inaction
Ajay Veer, general secretary of the government school teachers’ association, said, “We write to the director of education several times about these issues, but the administrators are too busy to understand the crisis right now in schools. They must be thinking: ‘When there is no faculty in schools, why will children require books in the first place?” He also called out the government for not paying heed to the crisis that students have been facing
No guidance
Textbooks across all subjects are published in three languages: Hindi, English, and Urdu
But social sciences textbooks for Classes VI, VII, & VII, and math book for Class IX not delivered
School principal says inordinate delay in delivery of textbooks is common
Children are studying from downloaded NCERT books on a limited number of phones that share
Teaching faculty absence amid SIR takes a toll on academics as no additional guest faculty hired
Teachers’ body says raising the issue with director of education yielded
no action
Says education minister needs to consider lack of books for students a ‘very, very serious’ issue
Delhi Books Bureau has reportedly asked all principals to purchase the books directly from now on