Kerala - Kochi

Shortage of textbooks mars studies in schools

KOCHI: The mid-term examination in schools in the district began on Wednesday amidst fears that the academic session in the coming months would be affected due to shortage of textbooks. The mid-term examination is the only test of skills before the final examination.

The Director of Public Instruction (DPI) had decided that there would be only one terminal examination from this year.

Onam and Christmas examinations were taken off the exam schedule inviting mixed reactions from teachers and students.

A section of teachers opposed the DPI’s decision as they believed that it would not be beneficial to the student community.

A teacher at a school in Mattancherry said that students would lose their interest in studies, as they know that their learning skills would be put to test only in the end of the academic session.

She said that students used to update their syllabus regularly in view of the Onam and Christmas examinations.

Teachers at a school in Aluva said the concept of continuous evaluation also suffered a setback with this decision. They said that the chances of students revising their portions only towards the end of the academic session were high.

But a section of teachers who support the DPI’s decision say that it would do away the tension related to examinations. Students would get an opportunity to chisel their skills and use them effectively in the mid-term examination, they said.

Those opposing the decision say that a section of teachers were supporting the move, as the examination workload has now come down considerably.

The Education Department was sure that a section of teachers would support the move, as they need not evaluate and publish the results of the Onam and Christmas examinations, they said.

Textbooks were yet to reach many schools because of the delay in the distribution of books in many parts of the State.

Teachers in various schools said that there was a serious shortage of the English translation of the Class VII Social Sciences textbook. Schools were also facing shortage of the revised portions in the controversial Social Sciences textbook for Class VII.

The DPI had promised that the books would reach all schools by the end of August. Schools were also facing severe shortage of Class VI science and mathematics textbooks.

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