Many secondary school students yet to receive textbooks

Although the academic year has begun, a large number of secondary-level students did not receive free textbooks on the first day of the year. The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) had planned to hand over at least one or two textbooks to every student on the first day. However, many schools did not receive even a single textbook for Classes Seven and Eight, including some schools in the capital.

This year, however, there is no crisis regarding textbooks at the primary level. All primary-level textbooks were delivered to the field level more than two weeks ago.

As a result, with few exceptions, primary students received all their textbooks on the first day of the year. Even so, several guardians told Prothom Alo that primary-level textbooks were not distributed yesterday, Thursday, at some schools that have both primary and secondary sections.

NCTB officials claim that secondary-level students will receive all textbooks by 15 January. However, sources concerned said there is a risk of further delays in reality. Naturally, the lack of new textbooks will adversely affect studies.

Although NCTB officials say that online versions of all textbooks have been published on the NCTB website and anyone can download them.

According to NCTB sources, the total number of textbooks at the secondary level (including Ebtedayee) this year is 214,324,274. Of these, 72.85 per cent of secondary-level textbooks had been supplied to the field level as of 8:00 pm on 31 December. Excluding the Ebtedayee level, only 69 per cent of textbooks for Classes Six, Seven, Eight, and Nine have been supplied. More than 80 per cent of Class Six textbooks have been delivered, 58.36 per cent for Class Seven, about 45 per cent for Class Eight, and around 84 per cent for Class Nine.

Even after that, some more textbooks were delivered yesterday. According to NCTB sources, the total number of textbooks from pre-primary to secondary level for the 2026 academic year exceeds 300.02 million. Of these, more than 246.9 million (over 82 per cent) had been delivered as of yesterday.

The Provati Uchya Bidyanikaton is in the capital’s New Eskaton area. Visiting the school at around 11:45 am yesterday, it was seen that results were being published and textbooks were also being distributed. The school teaches from pre-primary to Class Ten and has around 400 students.

A teacher of the school told Prothom Alo that all textbooks from Classes One to Six have been received. Most of the Class Nine textbooks have arrived, but none for Classes Seven and Eight.

A similar picture was seen at Eskaton Garden High School on Eskaton Garden Road. Headteacher Dulal Chandra Chowdhury said all textbooks for the primary level and Class Six of the secondary level have been received. About 60 to 70 per cent of Class Nine textbooks have arrived, but textbooks for Classes Seven and Eight have not yet reached the school.

According to tender conditions, printers print the textbooks under NCTB supervision and deliver them to the respective education offices. Secondary-level textbooks are sent to secondary education offices, and primary-level textbooks are sent to primary education offices. Schools then collect the books from those offices and distribute them to students.

Provati Uchya Bidyanikaton and Eskaton Garden High School fall under the Ramna Thana Secondary Education Office. At that office in Segunbagicha, a responsible official said 28 secondary schools under their jurisdiction are receiving textbooks this year. All textbooks for Classes Six and Nine have arrived, while only two subjects’ textbooks (Bangla subjects) for Class Seven have arrived. Class Eight textbooks are now being delivered.

While this correspondent was there, books were seen being unloaded from a small truck.

There is no problem with Ebtedayee-level textbooks at madrasas. However, textbooks for Classes Six and Seven of the Dakhil level have not arrived. At the Class Eight level, five textbooks have arrived, and all textbooks for Class Nine have been delivered.

Prothom Alo’s Rajshahi correspondent reported, citing sources at the Rajshahi District Education Office, that the total demand for textbooks in the district at the secondary, vocational, Dakhil, and Ebtedayee levels is 3,704,301 copies. Of these, 1,808,146 copies have been distributed, which is more than 48 per cent of the total demand.

According to data from the National Curriculum and Textbook Board, more than 85.9 million textbooks were allocated for free distribution at the primary level in the new academic year, and 100 per cent of these have already been delivered.

During the tenure of the interim government, textbooks are no longer distributed to students through festivals on the first day of the year as before. Instead, textbooks are delivered to schools, and school authorities then hand them over to students.

Meanwhile, Primary and Mass Education Adviser Professor Bidhan Ranjan Roy Poddar visited Abul Bashar Government Primary School in Dhaka yesterday, the first day of the New Year, to observe the textbook distribution activities. He also inaugurated the textbook distribution among students there.

At the event, the adviser said that at the very beginning of the New Year, it was possible to distribute 100 per cent of textbooks to students of all government primary schools across the country. He said, “If you notice, you will see that the quality of these textbooks is certainly better than before. This is an important achievement of the current government.”

Later, the adviser took part in a textbook distribution programme at Nalanda High School at the Chhayanaut Cultural Centre in Dhaka.

There he said, “A few days ago, an unfortunate incident occurred here, which is a disgrace for the nation. We saw the media being attacked, cultural institutions being attacked, and a minority citizen being assaulted. Such incidents pose a threat to the nourishment of democracy. However, the hopeful sign is that the conscientious people of this country have stood up against these incidents.”