As distribution of free text books is an epoch-making priority project of the government to rapidly increase the rate of literacy, the printing of more than 35.30 crore textbooks is going on smoothly to distribute those among the school students on January 1 of the next year under strict surveillance.
Sources at the education minister said the printing cost of the textbooks reduced by 30 pc this year.
This year, the government is printing 10 lakh more books than the previous year aiming to distribute those among the school-going learners on the very first day of next year.
The government is printing 35,30,14,444 free textbooks for the academic year 2020, which was 35,21,97,882 this year.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will formally inaugurate the free textbooks distribution festival.
On the other hand, the Textbook Printing and Distribution Association (TPDA) concerned said, book production cost reduced this year compared to previous years.
TPDA information showed, for 2020 academic year per forma textbook printing cost for the primary is Tk 1.90 and for secondary is TK 1.92 which was Tk 2.92 for 2019 academic year.
“As the cost of per tonne paper has reduced by 20 percent and also the printing cost, the book production cost has gone down,” said TPDA president Shahid Serniabat.
Concerned officials of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) said they are hopeful to organize the free textbooks distribution festival as per the schedule as the book printing procedure started a few months ago.
Based on their information, it was learned that printing, binding, and distribution of free textbooks are continuing under strict scrutiny so that none of the printing agencies can play foul with the quality of these books.
NCTB printing expert Dr. Nurul Bashar said, “We are continuously working to upgrade quality of books. Now we are using international standard printing paper, color and binging glue. In the meantime, we have sent a good number of printed books to the Upazila level”.
On the other hand, according to the country’s educationists, the distribution of free textbooks has been one of the priority projects of the government in the last decade. As a result, every year distribution of free textbooks is increasing.
NCTB Chairman Narayan Chandra Pal said, the curriculum remains unchanged, but the text of the book is easy-to-read.
The education ministry sources said the free textbooks were distributed among students of pre-primary, (languages of ethnic groups), primary (Bangla and English version, secondary, ebtedayee, dakhil, SSC vocational/technical and brail for visually challenged students across the country.
