Short supply of new NCERT textbooks leaves Andaman struggling

Port Blair, Sep 04 (UNI) The Andaman and Nicobar Administration was struggling hard to supply new NCERT textbooks to all the remote schools of this island as the new textbooks were not made available by the NCERT to the local Education department.

" Keeping in mind the continuation of studies, it has been decided by the Department to introduce new text books to the school in a phased manner as per their availability here, " Mr Raj Kumar, the Director of Andaman Education department, told newsmen.

He said besides, efforts were being made to procure the remaining books from NCERT so that new sets of book could be made available to all students in these islands.

Earlier, the Education department had received many complaints from parents belonging to various remote islands of this Union Territory regarding non-availability of new NCERT textbooks.

Short supply of books had now forced the local administration to prepare a backup plan for the students of tsunami-hit islands.

Recently a study in respect of change in the content of the textbooks had also been conducted with the help of some teachers working in the Directorate of Education, which found that a few topics had been added in the textbook and some of the old topics had been deleted, while the remaining topics were kept the same which exist in the old textbooks.

" There is no change in the syllabus of class Xth and XIIth and so the students and parents need not be panicky for non-availability of textbooks as the textbooks for these classes are being supplied to all places in appropriate quantity, " the Director said.

He said necessary instructions had been issued to all schools regarding the above and deletion of a few topics so that the remaining topics could be taught in the classroom till the availability of new textbooks in full quantity from NCERT.

" The supply of old textbooks has been made only for the purpose of continuation of studies till the new books are supplied, " the Director clarified.

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