M M Jasim :
The printing of 33 crore primary and secondary levels’ textbooks has become uncertain due to reluctance of the owners of printing industry to follow World Bank (WB)’s conditions as it emphasised on ‘quality books’.
As a result, the Education Ministry and the Primary and Mass Education Ministry will have to face much criticism for failing to provide new textbooks to the students in days of the New Year.
Meanwhile, The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) authorities are in dilemma, as the institution has to follow the directions of WB and the printing industry owners asked them that they would not print the books following the WB’s direction. The NCTB authorities are also yet to find out any solution to print the textbooks.
NCTB Member Dr Ratan Siddique told The New Nation yesterday that the WB would not consider its conditions. It wants quality textbooks.
“It is totally impossible to manage WB. On the other hand, we sat with the owners of printing industries to resolve the problem. But they did not agree to print the books following the WB conditions,” Dr Ratan said.
“I think no initiative will bring good result but the intervention of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” he said.
Sources said the NCTB would print 11 crore textbooks for the primary level and 22 crore for the secondary level students this year.
The WB allocates Tk 20 per textbook. The owners of printing industries said that the allocation money is not sufficient to print a quality book.
The WB increased advance from 10 per cent to 15 per cent. The technical branch of WB will testify the paper after buying it while the owners of printing industries have to present ‘Forma’. The WB team will evaluate finally the printed books after distribution among the students. And it will give payment to the printing presses after approval of the books by its technical branch. But the owners of printing industries are not agreed with the conditions of the WB.
The owners said that they have invested huge amount of money to print the books. It will be risk for them if WB team does not approve their books after printing for any reason, they said.
The printing industry owners demanded to withdraw the illogical conditions of WB. Otherwise, they will not print any book.
If the printing industry owners refrain from printing books in a short time the distribution of the books will be difficult in time, an official of Primary and Mass Education Ministry told The New Nation yesterday wishing anonymity.
Ministry sources said that the bosses of NCTB, Primary and Mass Education Ministry and printing industry owners held several round of meetings to resolve the problem. But the NCTB and the ministry have virtually failed to bring any solution.
President of Bangladesh Printing Industry Association Shahid Serniabat said that the NCTB is trying to give the work to printing industry owners following the WB prescription. But the printing industry owners rejected it.
“We told the NCTB that it is not possible for us to print the books following the conditions of WB. But the NCTB forced the owners to print. We rejected it outright. The NCTB also took the initiative to send worksheets through post. If the NCTB forces us again we will take shelter of the court,” Serniabat said.
He also branded the conditions of WB as ‘whimsical’ what he said that the WB was trying to make the project controversial.
NCTB Chairman Professor Narayan Chandra Pal said that they were trying their best to resolve the crisis. He sought cooperation from the two sides.
Asking about the decision of the printing owners, he said they have right to do that. But the students will be fallen in problem.
The printing of 33 crore primary and secondary levels’ textbooks has become uncertain due to reluctance of the owners of printing industry to follow World Bank (WB)’s conditions as it emphasised on ‘quality books’.
As a result, the Education Ministry and the Primary and Mass Education Ministry will have to face much criticism for failing to provide new textbooks to the students in days of the New Year.
Meanwhile, The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) authorities are in dilemma, as the institution has to follow the directions of WB and the printing industry owners asked them that they would not print the books following the WB’s direction. The NCTB authorities are also yet to find out any solution to print the textbooks.
NCTB Member Dr Ratan Siddique told The New Nation yesterday that the WB would not consider its conditions. It wants quality textbooks.
“It is totally impossible to manage WB. On the other hand, we sat with the owners of printing industries to resolve the problem. But they did not agree to print the books following the WB conditions,” Dr Ratan said.
“I think no initiative will bring good result but the intervention of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” he said.
Sources said the NCTB would print 11 crore textbooks for the primary level and 22 crore for the secondary level students this year.
The WB allocates Tk 20 per textbook. The owners of printing industries said that the allocation money is not sufficient to print a quality book.
The WB increased advance from 10 per cent to 15 per cent. The technical branch of WB will testify the paper after buying it while the owners of printing industries have to present ‘Forma’. The WB team will evaluate finally the printed books after distribution among the students. And it will give payment to the printing presses after approval of the books by its technical branch. But the owners of printing industries are not agreed with the conditions of the WB.
The owners said that they have invested huge amount of money to print the books. It will be risk for them if WB team does not approve their books after printing for any reason, they said.
The printing industry owners demanded to withdraw the illogical conditions of WB. Otherwise, they will not print any book.
If the printing industry owners refrain from printing books in a short time the distribution of the books will be difficult in time, an official of Primary and Mass Education Ministry told The New Nation yesterday wishing anonymity.
Ministry sources said that the bosses of NCTB, Primary and Mass Education Ministry and printing industry owners held several round of meetings to resolve the problem. But the NCTB and the ministry have virtually failed to bring any solution.
President of Bangladesh Printing Industry Association Shahid Serniabat said that the NCTB is trying to give the work to printing industry owners following the WB prescription. But the printing industry owners rejected it.
“We told the NCTB that it is not possible for us to print the books following the conditions of WB. But the NCTB forced the owners to print. We rejected it outright. The NCTB also took the initiative to send worksheets through post. If the NCTB forces us again we will take shelter of the court,” Serniabat said.
He also branded the conditions of WB as ‘whimsical’ what he said that the WB was trying to make the project controversial.
NCTB Chairman Professor Narayan Chandra Pal said that they were trying their best to resolve the crisis. He sought cooperation from the two sides.
Asking about the decision of the printing owners, he said they have right to do that. But the students will be fallen in problem.
