VIJAYAWADA: The state government is planning to distribute 5.4 crore textbooks to government and private schools for the first semester. Of the total, 3.7 crore textbooks are meant for students of government schools from Class 1 to X, except Class VIII. As many as 3 crore textbooks were already dispatched to the government schools. The distribution of textbooks began on the school reopening day on July 5. The textbooks wing of the School Education Department is striving to dispatch the remaining books at the earliest.
Last year, the government issued bilingual textbooks, but this academic year a majority of textbooks are in English and the rest are bilingual. A total of 4.8 crore textbooks are needed to distribute to students of government schools for all semesters and the remaining books will be distributed in the next semesters.
For the first time, the government has made arrangements to provide textbooks to private schools in the state at low prices. Of the total 1.37 crore textbooks required for private schools, 1 crore has been made available at all the offices of Mandal Education Officers in the 26 districts of the State. The MEOs will supply textbooks to the private schools once they make payment as per the procedure.
However, the government has decided to implement the CBSE syllabus in Class VIII from this academic year. Hence, textbooks have not been distributed to Class VIII students yet. Textbooks will be provided to class VIII students based on the CBSE syllabus so as to make them write CBSE exams for Class X in 2025. The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) has made some changes to it.
Director of Textbooks K Ravindranath Reddy told The New India Express that the printing of the balance of 27 lakh books for government schools has been delayed due to a lack of paper and the change in the syllabus of Class VIII. He informed that they printed both English, as well as bilingual textbooks and students who were promoted from the Telugu medium, will be given bilingual textbooks. As of now, the printing of books has been completed and 100% books will be provided to students by July 15. One crore books have already been dispatched for the private schools, he added.
1.37 crore textbooks for private schools
For the first time, the government has made arrangements to provide textbooks to private schools in the State at low prices. Of the total 1.37 crore textbooks required for private schools, 1 crore have been made available at the offices of Mandal Education Officers in the 26 districts of the State. The MEOs will supply books to the private schools once they make payment as per procedure