Stagnation in textbook printing worrisome

With only a few months remaining before the start of the new academic year, the process of printing nearly 310 million textbooks for the 2027 academic year and delivering them to students across the country on time is facing alarming delays. According to recent data from the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB), slightly more than half of the textbooks for the primary level have been supplied, while only one-fifth of those for the secondary level have been delivered. Even the printing of textbooks for class 9 and 10 has yet to begin in earnest at most printing presses. This delay is a reflection of the structural weaknesses of our entire education system.
The crisis is primarily the result of mismanagement and an unplanned allocation of work. A total of more than 306.1 million books, worth approximately Tk21 billion, have been contracted out to 113 printing presses. Allegations have emerged that some sole proprietorships have been assigned workloads far beyond their actual production capacities. As a result, at least 26 printing firms are facing serious uncertainty over whether they can complete their assignments within the stipulated timeframe. This is a prove of how a lack of transparency and accountability, and biased decision-making have placed the entire supply chain at risk.
Receiving new textbooks on the first day of the year through the annual “Textbook Festival” is a source of immense joy for young learners and provides a crucial foundation for their education. So, the NCTB should maintain that printing for the secondary level will gain momentum once the primary-level work is completed. However, past experience suggests that rushing to finish the work at the last minute severely compromises the quality of textbook paper and printing. 
A substantial portion of the national budget is allocated to the education sector. Therefore, irregularities by printing firms, deliberate delays and the practice of accepting workloads beyond their capacity and then failing to complete them must be dealt with firmly. Printing firms that breach their written commitments should face legal action, including blacklisting. At the same time, the monitoring teams of the NCTB and the Ministry of Education must go beyond routine inspections and take effective measures to accelerate the printing and distribution processes.