Visakhapatnam: Textbooks to be distributed along with dry ration soon

• The State government is keen on supplying textbooks to students much ahead this time

• School Education Department is mulling supply of the readied textbooks to beneficiaries along with dry ration

•The newly introduced workbooks for Classes I to V will be distributed under 'Jagananna Vidya Kanuka' kits.

Visakhapatnam: Now, the students, who have been promoted to higher class, need not wait for long to flip through the pages of fresh textbooks as many of them has already been printed and delivered to mandal and school points across the state.

Unlike earlier, where one has to make do without textbooks even after the academic year commences, the state government is keen on supplying textbooks to the students much ahead this time.

Education officials say that textbooks for Classes I to VI are at printing stage. However, for Classes VII to X, the printing of textbooks both in English and Telugu medium has been wrapped up.

"Since the syllabus for the Classes VII to X continues to be same like last year, the printing process got completed. Though the printed textbooks have been delivered to mandal and school points, the challenge now lies in reaching out to students and supplying the content," says T V S Ramesh, academic coordinator of the State Council of Educational Research and Training.

Keeping the novel coronavirus pandemic in view, the School Education Department is mulling supply of the readied textbooks to the beneficiaries along with the dry rations.

"Since schools remain shut and online classes continue to be the norm these days, there is a proposal to reach out to students through an army of volunteers and hand over textbooks to them while distributing dry ration," says an official from the School Education Department.

For Classes, I to V, the officials concerned say they intend to give away the textbooks as well as the newly introduced workbooks as part of 'Jagananna Vidya Kanuka' kits.

Though the textbooks and workbooks till Class VI is still at printing stage, efforts are on to distribute them to the beneficiaries by June 12.

The supply of textbooks ahead of academic year will aid in certain level of preparedness among the students and hence, officials say, steps have been taken to complete the printing process and ensure its distribution in advance.