GURGAON: Thousands of students in govt schools across Gurgaon are yet to receive their free textbooks weeks into the new academic session, forcing many to attend classes without textbooks or depend on worn-out copies from previous years.Of the nearly 80,000 students enrolled in primary and middle schools, almost every govt school has reported a shortage of textbooks for one or more classes, teachers said.Under the Right to Education Act, govt school students are entitled to free textbooks to ensure that financial constraints do not hinder learning.This year, however, an increase in admissions exposed gaps in the book distribution system, with schools saying the number of books supplied was calculated using last year’s enrolment instead of current student strength.
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Teachers said that the issue recurs almost every year because the initial supply rarely matches the actual enrolment.They added that schools submit a revised demand only after the admissions pick up.As a result, the shortages have affected Bal Vatika, Classes 1, 2, 3 and 5.In several schools, teachers are making students share books during lessons, while many parents have been asked to arrange books from former students until the fresh supplies arrive.Although old textbooks offer a temporary solution, teachers pointed out that they may not include updated content.For newly admitted students, even second-hand books are not readily available.Meanwhile, admissions are still underway, widening the supply and demand gap.Dushyant Thakaran, teacher at a govt primary school, said that a fresh demand based on updated student numbers has already been sent.
