Students will have to wait for a few more weeks for textbooks

Only around 42% of books have been distributed so far across the State

The new academic year appears to be off to a rocky start yet again much to the dismay of students and teachers. Though online classes began a month and a half ago, students enrolled in schools affiliated to the State board are yet to receive their textbooks. School managements and teachers are worried that along with the uncertainty of the pandemic and the predicted third wave, the delay will derail the academic year and cause immense hardship to students. According to details provided by the Karnataka Textbook Society (KTBS), as of August 10, only 42% of the textbooks have been distributed to students so far. A senior official admitted that all students across the State would get their study material only by mid-September. “Around 75% of the textbooks will be distributed by the month-end, while the entire process will be completed by September 15. We have, however, ensured that school libraries and gram panchayat libraries have book banks. There are nearly 1.75 crore old textbooks in these banks that students can use,” said the official. But with online classes still the norm, most students do not have easy access to the textbooks. Education experts said this delay would only further widen the digital divide.