Bihar schools reopen after Covid disruption, but wait for books continues mid-session

After the Bihar government failed to ensure timely availability of books to students studying in thousands of government schools year after year, it sought approval from the Centre in 2017 for giving commensurate amount to students through direct benefit transfer (DBT) in the bank accounts of parents of wards below 10 years of age for purchase of books from the open market. After initially refusing permission, the centre later agreed.

In Bihar, availability of books is never ensured for students in schools at the start of the academic session in April and often stretches beyond mid-session.

Students attend classes at a school in Bihar’s capital city Patna. (HT File)

This year, it’s is no different despite the Patna high court’s directive a few years ago to the government to ensure their timely availability.

After the Bihar government failed to ensure timely availability of books to students studying in thousands of government schools year after year, it sought approval from the Centre in 2017 for giving commensurate amount to students through direct benefit transfer (DBT) in the bank accounts of parents of wards below 10 years of age for purchase of books from the open market. After initially refusing permission, the centre later agreed.

However, that has not been able to solve the problem. Even in September this year, as the schools reopened after a long gap due to Covid-19 pandemic, lakhs of students continue to wait for the money to purchase books from the open market, if available. Strangely, Bihar still has a big set-up of the Bihar State Textbook Publishing Corporation, which earlier supplied books to students.

In many cases, money has been deposited, but books still not purchased for varying reasons ranging from non-availability to reluctance.

A school headmaster said that providing books timely to the students would have been the best option, as the small amount provided with delay in the name of books is invariably misused or is of no use, as aware parents of students don’t wait for it and manage it on their own. “The schools remained closed for over a year and reopening without books does not serve the purpose. We are also managing it for students. The preparations should have been made beforehand,” he said.

After September, there will be long holidays for Dussehra, Diwali and Chhath and before winter vacation, it will be time to fill up forms for exams. In between, there is panchayat poll, training for it and other non-academic engagements for teachers. That will leave the students, already affected due to almost missing education in the schools during the Covid period, as reflected through different surveys, with very little time even to flip through the books whenever made available.

Managing Director of the Bihar State Text Book Publishing Corporation, Manoj Kumar, said the process had been initiated to transfer amount in the bank accounts of students. “We have sought information from the district level officials. We have got ₹402 crore for disbursal of amount for this year and the process has begun. The printers have said the books are available with the retailers and the students can get it. The money will also reach them,” he said.

The MD said that camps would also be organised at the local level later this month to make books available. “We held a meeting with the printers also. The district officials have been asked to monitor that all students purchase books,” he said.

Sanjay Kumar, principal secretary (education), had on September 1 issued guidelines to all district-level officials regarding purchase of books by students with the money transferred in bank accounts of students. He expressed displeasure on September 9 over reports that books were not being purchased. “Availability of prescribed books is of paramount importance for quality education and this must be ensured through inspection. The report regarding availability of books should also reach the department in the prescribed format every Monday,” he wrote to all the district education officers and district programme officers.