On the second day of book distribution among students of Classes 1 to 12 at various government schools across the district on Wednesday, most schools handed over only English textbooks to Class 10 students.
The Punjab School Education Board’s depot in the city, which caters to the whole district, has received copies of only 23 textbooks out of the 110 textbooks for Classes 1 to 12. As per directions from the district education office, school principals started the distribution process from Tuesday amid the pandemic-induced lockdown.
These books are provided free of cost to all students from Classes 1 to 8 and to those under reserved categories in Classes 9 and 10. The city school principals have stated that they received copies of one textbook for Classes 7, 10 and 12 and four textbooks of Class 9 and all textbooks of Class 6.
PARENTS, STUDENTS TO MAKE MORE ROUNDS
Meanwhile, parents and students said the schools should have started the distribution process only once they received all textbooks for all classes as they will have to make more rounds to collect all textbooks.
Sushil Kumar, a parent, said, “My son studies in a government school and was handed over only one new book today. When I enquired, my 16-year-old son said the school received only one new textbook, so he has to visit the school again to get the rest of the books. The schools should have started the distribution process once they received all textbooks.”
{{/usCountry}}Sushil Kumar, a parent, said, “My son studies in a government school and was handed over only one new book today. When I enquired, my 16-year-old son said the school received only one new textbook, so he has to visit the school again to get the rest of the books. The schools should have started the distribution process once they received all textbooks.”
{{/usCountry}}SOCIAL DISTANCING NORMS IN PLACE
Students have been asked to visit the school at an allotted time and adhere to social-distancing norms. Circles have been made in the school corridor and a peon has been deputed to make all students sanitise their hands before collecting books.
MANY SCHOOLS DISTRIBUTE OLD TEXTBOOOKS
Many government school heads gave old textbooks to the students from the book banks that they had set up in their school years ago.
At Government Model Senior Secondary School, Cemetery Road, over 40 students of Class 10 were given new textbooks of English.
At Government Senior Secondary Shool, Haibowal Khurd, the authorities have handed over new English textbooks and old books of other subjects to Class 10 students. Principal Kamaljit said, “I have deputed a staffer to make sure that all students and visitors sanitise their hands. We have received textbooks of Class 6 to 12 and we will hand these over to the students according to the prepared schedule. Many parents also accompanied their wards to school to collect books, so we made proper seating arrangements for them.”