AP Govt urged to speed up supply of textbooks

Anantapur/Puttaparthi: Even 10 days after the reopening of government schools, the government has failed to keep its word on supply of textbooks on the very day of its reopening, that is July 5, 2022. Today even 10 days after reopening of the government and private schools, the government is having a hard time meeting books supply deadlines.

The State government has even promised supply of textbooks to private schools to prevent exorbitant rates of books. Not a single school has full supply of textbooks from the government. The government actually made an announcement three months ago that students will be given textbooks on the day of reopening.

It had advised even private school managements against purchasing books from private publishers. Private publishers had been selling books at exorbitant prices. While no government school has been supplied its full indented quota, private schools had been in the lurch desperately waiting for books supply.

Normally every year, private publishers would have supplied books by now but parents welcomed the government announcement and are waiting for the supply of books by the government. The government has given orders for supply of textbooks to the order of 12.50 lakh books. So far 7.85 lakh books have arrived. Already 2 lakh books had been despatched to mandal schools.

Sunitha, a parent of private school students said that every year they purchase textbooks from private publishers at a very high cost but the government's announcement that they will supply books at a very cost effective price made all the parents happy. Hope the government will speed up the supply process, she said.

The office of the School Education Commissionerate had earlier sought for online applications and the requirement school wise.

Government textbooks will be affixed with 'F' letter for free supply and private text books with 'S' letter meaning for sale. The managements are supposed to adopt 'gateway' method by transferring amount online and collecting receipt online. The receipt should be shown to the mandal education officer and textbooks collected from the office.

In the undivided Anantapur district there are 1,187 private schools and 2.36 lakhs students studying in the schools. These students require 12,45,527 books but so far 7.83 lakh books had been supplied.

Radha Kumari, a private school teacher, said that parents are happy that they need not shell out huge amount of money to private publishers. The government need to speed up the supply process.

The government should make advance planning and ensure all books reach the schools before the reopening date and minimise tension to parents, she felt.