Schools reopened across the State on Monday, but revised textbooks will not be available to students for the next three months.
Students and parents are going to various shops trying to find the new textbooks, but owing to a lack of supply, there are no new books.
Delay of submission of the textbook review committee’s report and tendering process are the main reasons that caused the delay in textbook printing and supply.
Sources in the Education Department said revised textbooks are being printed and it will take time till August to supply them. Until then, students will be dependent on the old books.
A complaint by the Karnataka Bramhana Mahasabha that some lessons of Classes VI and VIII are hurting sentiments of the Brahmin community had led to the State government forming a committee to revise all the textbooks from Classes I to X.
The revision committee, which is headed by writer Rohith Chakrateertha, submitted its report to the government in March.
According to the report, Social Science textbooks of Classes VI to X in all mediums, Classes I to X Kannada first language (except Class III) textbooks, Kannada second language textbooks of Classes VI, VIII, and IX, and third language textbooks of all mediums of Classes VII, VIII, and IX were revised.
Usually, the Karnataka Textbook Society (KTBS) starts the textbook indent and tendering process around November every year. Because of late submission of the textbook revision committee report, this year, the entire textbook process was delayed.
According to the May 16 printing and distribution progress report of KTBS, 54.53% textbooks were supplied to all the blocks. The total textbook requirement is 5.65 crore, while the textbook printing up to today is 3.99 crore (70.74%).
The total textbook supply from printers is 3.61 crore(63.94%) and the total textbooks received at the block level are 3.08 crore (54.53%).
However, KTBS did not reveal the revised textbook printing process and supply data.
Amidst these textbook supply glitches, the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) has ordered all schools to open book banks, collect old books, and distribute them among students.
