Bengaluru: Three months after schools reopened, private institutions across Karnataka are still facing a shortage of textbooks, with managements alleging the school education department hasn’t invited a second round of intent for ordering books.The first round of intent is usually collected in Jan, when schools provide an approximate estimate of their textbook requirements. However, admissions pick up pace in April-May and continue until June, often changing the number of students enrolled.“Many schools that admitted more students than anticipated are now facing a shortage, while those with lower enrolment have excess books. It is, therefore, important for the department to seek a second round of intent. That hasn’t happened this year,” said D Shashi Kumar, secretary, Karnataka Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools.Karnataka Textbook Society (KTBS) said it completed delivery of all books ordered through the first round. “The file to initiate the second intent is with the commissioner’s office and awaiting approval,” said Made Gowda, director of KTBS.The Organisation for Unaided Recognised Schools said the shortage has been directly affecting thousands of students. “They have to learn without textbooks. Teachers are struggling to manage classrooms, while school administrations have to answer parents’ questions. Every academic year, there are similar problems. It requires scrutiny for administrative mismanagement,” the group said.Gowda said the department had asked deputy directors of public instruction (DDPIs) and block education officers (BEOs) to facilitate exchanges between schools. “Those schools with excess books because of low enrolment can exchange them with the schools in need. We had sent out a circular as early as July for this,” he said.Niranjanaradhya VP of Coordination of People’s Movements for the Right to Education said the problem has also affected students who shifted from private to govt schools. While children transferred between govt schools are provided textbooks from their previous schools, those joining govt schools from private institutions have not yet received books, he said.“The only basis for learning for children in rural areas is textbooks. Children will fall far behind in their learning,” he said, demanding disciplinary action against officials for delaying distribution without a clear plan for enrolment changes. He added that maths and science textbooks for classes 8 and 9, and books for classes 3 and 4, have not arrived in many schools.
