The crisp winter morning of the new year excited children across Cox’s Bazar as they eagerly flocked to schools to receive fresh textbooks. The joy of holding new books enlivened school campuses, with young students brimming with enthusiasm and pride.
Primary school teachers expressed satisfaction, saying that children left school with smiles and hearts full of joy. “The happiness of receiving books on the first day of the year is unmatched,” said one teacher.
However, the scene was different in private schools. While public primary schools had ample supplies of books, private schools received only about 60% of the required textbooks.
This shortfall left teachers unable to distribute books to all students, leading to disappointment, especially among fourth—and fifth-graders who yearned for their share of new books.
On the secondary level, the situation was similarly uneven. According to the district education office, only seventh-grade students received books for three subjects, and ninth-grade students in some upazilas received just two books each.
Following the interim government’s directives, there were no formal ceremonies to mark the distribution of books this year, unlike in previous years.
By Abdur Rashid Manik
Photo: Abdur Rashid Manik
