All set for annual textbook distribution festival

DE Online Desk
Authorities are gearing up to distribute new textbooks among pre-primary and primary school students on Monday, the first day of the year, like in previous years.
The festival will start at 10 am on the premises of National Government Primary School in Mirpur, Dhaka.
State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Md Zakir Hossen and Secretary Farid Ahmed will attend the event as chief and special guests.
However, owing to the impending national election on January 7, the Ministry of Education has decided not to centrally organize the book festival.
Locally, district and upazila administrations will conduct small-scale programs and schools will organize book festivals.
The government has been providing new textbooks to school students across all grades since 2010.
This year, a total of 3,096,939 pre-primary students, 18,070,594 primary students, and 84,473 students from minority groups are expected to receive these educational materials.
According to sources, all books for primary schools have already reached educational institutions, unlike secondary-level books.
National Curriculum and Textbook Board Chairman Farhadul Islam said some small presses had yet to print their allocated books for the secondary level and asked for an additional week. “Hopefully it will be possible to finish that work by January 7.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday launched the free textbook distribution program at an event at her office by handing out books to students of pre-primary, primary and secondary levels on Sunday morning.