A deepening rift has emerged between the J&K Board of School Education (JKBOSE) and concerned stakeholders over the availability of textbooks. Despite the Chairman of JKBOSE asserting that textbook distribution is proceeding without interruption, parents and teachers across Kashmir report a dire shortage, leaving students idle during the crucial winter vacation.
Chairman JKBOSE dismissed allegations of scarcity, claiming trucks loaded with textbooks are arriving daily and that distribution worth crores has been successfully conducted. "There is no shortage. Students have books in their hands," he stated, emphasizing that children from Classes 1 to 8 receive books free of cost upon presenting BPL ration cards.
Contradicting these claims, parents and teachers from districts like Budgam and Kulgam express mounting frustration. "We haven’t received any books so far," said a teacher from Govt High School Kulgam, adding that further delays are likely. Parents echoed these concerns, with Muneeb Nazeer from Kulgam questioning the board’s preparedness. "Why didn’t JKBOSE stock books earlier? One month has passed, and our children remain without study material," he lamented.
As winter vacation draws to a close, the tension underscores the pressing need for clarity and accountability from JKBOSE, while students continue to lose valuable learning time.
