HYDERABAD: With the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) going online, parents are hopeful that they will no longer have to burn a hole in their pockets by purchasing alternative books from private publishers.The portal that was launched on Wednesday will allow schools and parents to place online orders for its textbooks and have them delivered at their doorstep too, has got a thumbs up from educationists and teachers.
The portal, www.ncertbooks.ncert.gov.in, stated NCERT aims to “better distribution of textbooks across the country” and to address “apprehensions on part of schools and parents regarding the unavailability of NCERT books.”
Lack of NCERT books have for long been cited as the reason for schools to opt for alternative more expensive books. “In the open market availability of NCERT books is limited. And the books by private publishers are expensive. Left with little choice parents were forced to buy these books. We hope all this will change now,” said N Narayana, an educationist.
The website is touted to function like a shopping portal, where schools have to log in with their respective state board affiliation numbers complete with a payment gateway. Orders for 2018-19 academic year can be place until 8 September.
Lauding the move by the NCERT, Sheik Shabbir Ali of Telangana Private Teachers Forum (TPTF) said that implementation is the key. “It is compulsory of the CBSE and State Board Schools to only use books of their respective boards. But since private schools are not bound by this rule, they make parents buy several books some that are very expensive and most that children don’t need,” he said.
Swati Jha, a parent agrees that additional books add extra pressure on students, physically and psychologically too. “Non-availability of NCERT books has always been an excuse for the school to prescribe additional books. It is because of this that the bags became heavy and the stress of referring to so many books bogged them down too. With one book to refer for each subject, the pressure will reduce substantially for both parents and teachers,” she said.