Primary school textbooks to be distributed by end of Feb: Adviser

Primary school students will receive their textbooks by the end of February, Prof Bidhan Ranjan Roy Poddar, adviser to the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, confirmed today.

He added, "As of last Sunday, over 85% of textbooks for up to Class 3 have already been distributed. For Classes 4 and 5, although we initially faced delays, over 84% of the books have now been delivered," while speaking at the inauguration of a two-day conference titled "Collective and Coordinated Efforts to Improve Reading Skills and Habits" in Sripur, Gazipur.

Roy Poddar further emphasised, "In our country, the decision on where to send a child for education rests with the parents. If they believe kindergarten is beneficial, that is their choice. However, our responsibility is twofold: first, to ensure the quality of primary education improves; and second, to ensure that kindergartens adhere to our curriculum."

Also attending the event were Abdul Hakim, director general of the Directorate of Primary Education, Mohammad Atiqur Rahman, additional director general of PEDP-4, Zia Ahmed Suman, director of the National Academy for Primary Education (NAPE), Hosne Ara Begum, director of the Institute of Education and Research at Dhaka University, Ataul Gani, director of Policy and Operations at the Directorate of Primary Education, Rakhi Sarkar, country director of Room to Read Bangladesh, and Upazila Executive Officer Barrister Sajib Ahmed, among others.

The conference was jointly organised by the Directorate of Primary Education and Room to Read Bangladesh.