Students in Classes VI to IX at Delhi government schools are facing difficulties preparing for their second-semester examinations, with more than 80% of teaching staff reportedly deployed for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) duties and several textbooks yet to reach schools.
With physical textbooks unavailable, many students are relying on NCERT e-books downloaded on a limited number of mobile phones that they have to share.
Although textbooks are published in Hindi, English and Urdu, some volumes have not been delivered. These include the second volume of social sciences, covering history and geography, for Classes VI, VII and VIII, and the second volume of mathematics for Class IX.
The shortage of teachers has added to the difficulties. A government school principal said that around 90% of the teaching faculty at the school was occupied with SIR-related work. No additional guest teachers had been appointed to manage classes in their absence.
Teachers have also raised concerns about the delays in textbook distribution, saying that students in government schools often receive their books well into the academic term. Repeated representations to the Directorate of Education have reportedly failed to resolve the issue.
The problem has also drawn attention to the assignment of non-academic duties to teachers, with educationists arguing that such deployments are affecting classroom instruction.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Books Bureau has reportedly asked school principals to purchase textbooks directly, placing the responsibility for arranging books on individual schools.
With semester examinations underway, students are having to prepare without access to the prescribed physical textbooks and with limited classroom teaching. The missing volumes and teacher shortage have left schools struggling to ensure that students can complete their coursework on time.
Source: The New Indian Express
