Chennai, May 31(BPNS)
Tamil Nadu Text Book and Educational Services Corporation has printed 3.8 crore new textbooks for school students of Tamil Nadu for the academic year 2021-22. This is despite the long holidays and shutdowns owing to the pandemic and general elections.
While the education department of the state has ordered 4.1 crore textbooks, 3.8 crores have been already printed and delivered. This means that 91% of the textbooks have been printed and delivered to the designated godowns.
Textbook corporation in a statement on Monday said that the printing of textbooks for classes 8th to 12th is total and complete and for other classes a small percentage is to be printed. However, the statement said that printing of books for class 1 and class 2 is pending owing to the lockdown.
The books for classes 1 and 2 will be printed and delivered to the designated godowns only after the lockdown is lifted,
An official with Textbook corporation while speaking to BPNS said, “As this was an election year, we commenced printing in January itself and moved the printed books to the 120 designated centres across the state in March and April. With no major corrections in the book, the printing work began in advance.”
The Textbook corporation will also deliver books to private schools who have given orders but this will happen only after the lockdown is lifted.
PB Prince Gajendrababu, general secretary, State platform for common school system while speaking to BPNS said, “ The state government should take steps to deliver books to the doorsteps of the students for the academic year 2021-22 in view of the pandemic. The government must initiate steps to deliver both textbooks and notebooks to students in government and private schools.”
He also said that teachers who are above 50 years of age and with comorbidities must be given postings at the stationary centres without any public contact.
Government and Private schools are taking exception from the government during lockdown to deliver books at the doorsteps of students as online classes will have to commence and students need textbooks to attend classes online.
