Tripura distributes 26.88 lakh textbooks, preparations on to resume schools after lockdown

Earlier this month, the education minister said his government is contemplating to restart its schools from June 1 and resume academic activities in them from June 15.

Tripura’s BJP-IPFT government has distributed 26.88 lakh textbooks in different government and government-aided schools to prepare them for starting regular classwork after lockdown. Speaking to reporters here, Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath said his department is working out all wrinkles to ensure a smooth resumption of classwork in schools.

“We are working to make sure all textbooks are delivered to all schools well before classes begin. Some textbooks have not been delivered yet due to the situation arising out of coronavirus. We are working to deliver them as soon as possible”, Nath said.

Earlier this month, Nath said his government is contemplating to restart its schools from June 1 and resume academic activities in them from June 15. He also said all schools would be properly sanitised, the supply of safe drinking water would be ensured and the results of all classes will be announced before students return to their classrooms.

Speaking on the education department’s preparations to reopen the schools, Nath said. “We have distributed 25,37,107 textbooks in different schools till the elementary level. Apart from this, 1.51 lakh textbooks of Class 9 were also distributed”.

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However, textbooks of eight out of nine subjects of class 10 and textbooks for 15 out of 29 subjects in Higher Secondary stage have arrived but are yet to be distributed through Inspector of Schools (IS) offices or headmasters.

The education minister informed that steps are being taken to expedite work on textbooks that are yet to be published.

On a different note, Ratan Lal Nath said many schools of the state are suffering from a shortage of teachers. He said a coordinated initiative is underway to transfer teachers in schools where the shortage is reported including schools under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC).

Tripura currently has 4,398 government and government-aided schools apart from 335 private schools, where an estimated 5 lakh students are estimated.