Inordinate delay in procuring textbooks from Tamil Nadu Text Book Corporation in Cuddalore is causing hardship to students and teachers, especially from private schools, due to non-availability of textbooks and confusion over omitted portions.
The delay is causing problem to parents too as they are forced to spend extra money to take printouts of syllabus from CDs and the Internet. According to an official from the Department of Education, they have only received textbooks for class I and class X for students studying through English medium. All Tamil medium books have been received, the official said. These books are for students studying in government and aided schools. Private schools have a different system, where they pay money to Amudhasurabi for the books.
Parents from various schools across Puducherry say they paid money around 10 days ago. Despite this, textbooks have not been delivered, even for class X students, who are scheduled to sit for Board examinatios at the end of the academic year. At present, students and teachers in private schools are managing with printouts taken either from the Samacheer Kalvi CD or the Internet. According to a teacher from Seventh Day Adventist School, who is also a parent, even the CD took a while to come through official channels. Several teachers got together to find contacts in the neighbouring State to supply them the CD.
“We often are unsure of what portions have been omitted, so we have been concentrating on teaching portions that are common between the old syllabus and the new syllabus,” the teacher said.
“My daughter is studying the class X and she has Board examinations at the end of the year. But, students have not yet received the textbooks. Despite this, quarterly exams have been announced in September,” said one of the parents of a student in St. Joseph of Cluny Girls' Higher Secondary School.
Speaking to The Hindu, Managing Director of Amudhasurabhi T. Chanemougan said the textbook corporation says preference is given to the government schools. So far, Amudhasurabi had received around Rs. 44 lakh from private schools towards, but there is no supply at the depot in Cuddalore, he said.
