KOCHI: The printing and distribution of the second volume of school textbooks for Classes I to X will be delayed further, thanks to shortage of hands. The swelling number of containment zones has hampered a section of staff with the Kerala Books and Publications Society (KBPS) which was entrusted with the task
of printing school textbooks from getting back to work.
According to the KBPS, nearly 75 percent of the textbooks needs to be completed before getting into the distribution phase. Though the KBPS has fixed a deadline of September to for textbook distribution, the staff shortage due to Covid scenario has left KPBS clueless.“Due to lockdown, a large section of KBPS staff are unable to come for duty. This has affected the daily target of printing much against out plans to complete the work by August, and distribute the textbooks to students before Onam. But due to the lockdown, the printing work was delayed for over a month. We are taking all efforts to make up for the number of working days lost due to lockdown in containment zones,” said Surya Thankappan, managing director, KBPS.
During a short span of one month, the KBPS has to print nearly 2.4 crore school textbooks. “Our deadline to distribute the first volume of the school textbook was April 15, but due to lockdown, the production had come to a halt. That delay is now reflecting on the printing of the second volume of textbooks. As a last ditch effort, the KBPS plans to outsource the work to private parties,” Surya Thankappan said.
The state school textbooks are divided into three volumes of which the first volume is meant to be taught before Onam vacation, and the second before Christmas holidays.Meanwhile, the lack of clarity from the curriculum committee on the decision to cut short the syllabus is also posing a major challenge for the KBPS, said sources.