Delay in supply of NCERT textbooks in CBSE schools, frustration mounts

A week into the new academic year, students in classes four, five, seven, and eight in CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) schools are still waiting for their textbooks to arrive. The situation has brewed resentment among parents of the CBSE students.

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Teachers are currently resorting to older syllabus materials, and are progressing through introductory topics from the students’ new grades.

The delay in releasing the textbooks has raised concerns among parents' associations, as there is still no confirmation on when the new books will be available.

According to a directive issued by NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) on March 10, these anticipated textbooks align with the framework of the National Education Policy, introducing a revamped curriculum.

The start of the academic year on April 1 has seen students relying on previous-year textbooks. This has left students, particularly in the aforementioned classes, in a state of uncertainty, with schools conducting a bridging programme, which integrates a review of last year’s material alongside introductory content from the current grade.

New textbooks for classes one and two were released in 2023, and for classes three and six in 2024, as part of the updated National Curriculum Framework. However, textbooks for other classes remain unpublished. On March 26, CBSE informed schools of these updates and advised them to conduct a bridging programme until new materials are prepared for the 2025-26 academic year.

In Bhubaneswar, the regional textbook sales centres are typically bustling at this time, yet they remain quiet due to the stock absence, and there is no indication of when supplies might arrive.

Odisha Abhibhabaka Mahasangha (a parents’ outfit) has questioned why only certain classes have received the NCERT textbooks since the Education Policy's introduction in 2020.

No comments were received from NCERT authorities in this regard.

A student narrates her plight

“Since the syllabus has been changed and new textbooks have not been supplied, we are facing problems. Studying the old chapters would not be of any use if the syllabus changed. As books are not likely to be provided by the next two months, April and May will go to waste,” a CBSE Class VII student, Adya Bhardabi stated.

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“Now, we are blindly teaching them (the students) as per the old syllabus. If the syllabus changes, we shall have to teach again,” a CBSE school teacher, Sanjeev Mohanty said.