HRD minister PK Shahi (left) and BSEB chairman AKP Yadav at the release function. Picture by Ashok Sinha

Patna, Jan. 11: Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) chairman professor A.K.P Yadav urged the state govern-ment to make effort for early distribution of school textbooks so that students and teachers get enough time to finish syllabus.

Yadav was speaking at a function on the release of model papers for Class X and XII. The event was also attended by state Human Resource Development (HRD) minister P.K. Shahi. Yadav said: “The Class X and XII final examinations are scheduled in the month of February-March but there are many students who still haven’t received their books for few subjects. Non-availability of books not only hampers studies but also makes it difficult for teachers to finish syllabus on time.”

Yadav said the task of BSEB is to conduct the examination of class X and XII boards while State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT) prepares the syllabus and textbooks for students.

Many a times it has been found that the syllabus which is distributed at schools is kept by the headmasters and not distributed among students and teachers, Yadav said.

“Incomplete information and knowledge about the syllabus affects both the teachers and students. Moreover, as SCERT prepares the textbooks, it takes more than months for the books to reach to students and it is only by November that students start getting them,” he added.

HRD minister said the government is working on direction so that by the next session (read 2012) students can get the textbooks latest by May end. Shahi said: “Last week, the HRD department had convened a review meeting with textbook publishers and they were asked to start printing the textbooks from the month of May from next year.”