Curriculum Uncertainty Affects Textbook Printing, Raising Shortage Risk for Next Academic Session
Uncertainty over whether to introduce a new curriculum or continue with the existing one at the school level has affected textbook printing. If the uncertainty is not resolved soon, the risk of textbook shortages at the school level in the upcoming academic session 2084/85 is expected to increase.
Janak Education Material Centre Limited, which is responsible for printing and distributing school-level textbooks, has expressed concern over the issue and has repeatedly requested the Curriculum Development Center to make the necessary decision for printing. To begin textbook printing, the Curriculum Development Center must provide the print-ready copy (“print right copy”).
The government is currently working through a task force formed to revise the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2076 for school education. The task force is visiting districts and collecting feedback from stakeholders, including students, teachers, parents, and policymakers. It remains uncertain how much more time will be required to complete the feedback collection and discussions, prepare the new curriculum, and reach the printing stage.
Janak Education’s Concern: Employees Without Work and Risk of Increased Financial Burden
Janak Education Managing Director Yadunath Poudel said that although the Centre has requested the print-ready copy, no decision has yet been made.
Last year, the Centre began textbook printing from Shrawan. Because it was able to complete its work on time, it also printed the ballot papers required for the House of Representatives member election. This time, however, the Centre said its employees have been left without work because textbook printing has not been allowed to begin.
Managing Director Poudel said that if the work is assigned late, employees will have to work overtime, which will also increase the institution’s financial burden.
Meanwhile, Curriculum Development Center Director Purushottam Ghimire said Janak Education’s concerns have been communicated to the relevant authority. He said the Center is working from its side and expressed hope that the concerned authority will make a decision soon.
New Curriculum Could Result in Rs 40 Crore Loss
Janak Education has said that even if the print-ready copy is provided within the next week, it can complete textbook printing before the academic session begins. If all six printing presses currently operated by the Centre run at full capacity, they can print around 100,000 textbooks per day.
Janak Education currently has 3 million textbooks printed last year in stock. If textbooks have to be printed according to a new curriculum, the existing stock will go unused, potentially causing the Centre a loss of around Rs 40 crore.
Janak Education claims that if it is authorized to print books under the existing curriculum, it can print textbooks for Grades 1 to 12 on its own and deliver them to schools before the academic session begins.
Last year, the government assigned private printing institutions the responsibility of printing textbooks for Grades 1, 2, and 4, while Janak Education printed textbooks for the remaining grades.
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