Textbook fiasco
exposes systemic lapses

Two months into Karnataka’s academic year, several textbooks are still not in the hands of children. Even State-run institutions have not received their full requirement in any taluk, while private schools await several titles despite having paid in advance. Teachers and pupils are left to manage with photocopies of last year’s books. The Karnataka Textbook Society (KTS), tasked with supplying them, owes the public an explanation. With the academic calendar fixed and known well ahead, such lapses are indefensible. Uniforms, bags, and shoes for government schoolchildren and those admitted to private institutions under the Right to Education (RTE) Act have also been delayed. This amounts to a breakdown of administration and accountability.The irony is difficult to miss. The State has announced eight education guarantees aimed at transforming learning: filling teacher vacancies, allowing greater choice of medium of instruction, providing free transport for public school students, introducing computer education from Grade 1 and artificial intelligence from Grade 3, appointing specialist teachers for art, music, and physical education, providing staff for non-teaching work, strengthening assessments and parent-teacher engagement, and introducing skill education and competitive-examination preparation from Grade 6. It has set ambitious targets: making its institutions the best in India within three years and enrolling five million children within five years. The 2026 results give reason to be optimistic: the SSLC pass rate hit a record 94.10%, while the PUC rose to 86.48%. The standout feature was the strong performance of State-run institutions. The government even took the unusual step of advertising its schools to attract enrolments.Delayed textbook supply worries students and teachers in Karnataka’s VijayapuraPrecisely because of these gains, the textbook fiasco cannot be brushed aside. Textbooks are not optional; they are the foundation of teaching and learning. Each day without them disrupts lesson plans, strains teachers, and places an unfair burden on children, particularly those from disadvantaged families who depend most on public institutions. Lost classroom time cannot be recovered by rushing through chapters before examinations. The authorities must take responsibility for this avoidable failure, and disciplinary action should be initiated against KTS officers. Merely ordering an inquiry after the damage is done will not suffice. An administration that promises to build the country’s best education system must ensure that children have their textbooks, uniforms, bags, and shoes on the first day. Education cannot be transformed through promises on paper while the most basic requirements of schooling remain undelivered.

Source: Deccan Herald