Over 95% textbooks will reach schools by Dec 31: Dipu Moni

Education Minister Dipu Moni today said more than 95 percent textbooks will reach primary and secondary schools across the country by December 31.

"The remaining books will be delivered by January 7. Students will get their textbooks on time," Dipu Moni said while visiting a printing press at Matuail in Dhaka.

Dipu Moni said binding of over 17 crore textbooks has already been completed but some might remain incomplete. "However, we'll be able to distribute those among students in the first week of January."

However, it is not possible to arrange any "textbook festival" this time around as well due to the pandemic, said the minister, adding that these textbooks will be distributed in classrooms.

Dipu Moni said that printing of the textbooks is almost done and the officials of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) regularly visit the press twice a week.

Printing is going on in 200 presses -- 158 for printing books of secondary schools and 42 for primary schools, she said.

The minister also said action will be taken if the supplier printing company provides substandard textbooks.

About resuming full-fledged classes in educational institutions amid Omicron fear, Dipu Moni said, "Time has not come yet to say the last words about Omicron."

"We can see Omicron is spreading fast in Europe and America. We need to wait little more; we'll have to remain alert," she said.

She said Covid positivity rate saw a rise in March in Bangladesh. "So, it's not possible to say anything about resuming full-scale classes. If the Covid situation doesn't worsen in March, the educational institutions will resume their full-fledged classes. Till then, educational institutions will run on a limited scale," said the minister.