Thursday, May 02, 2024
The government's ban on guidebooks for students across the country seems to have had little impact, with reports suggesting that students from Class I to Class IX are using guidebooks at a rate more than double that of textbooks.
Allegations have surfaced that teachers are being pressured to endorse these guidebooks, resulting in guardians reporting yearly expenses exceeding Tk 500 crore.
Since 2010, the government has been distributing free textbooks to students from pre-primary to class IX, in accordance with the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) Act.
This law states that no book outside of those published or approved by the board can be prescribed as a textbook for any school. Furthermore, the Book Prohibition Act of 1980 completely prohibits the printing and marketing of note or guidebooks.
NCTB member Md Mashiuzzaman emphasised that any extra books outside the NCTB curriculum are not allowed, urging guardians to be aware of this regulation. However, despite the prohibition, teachers continue to endorse and pressure students to purchase these auxiliary guidebooks, as claimed by guardians.
A Viqarunnisa Noon School & College student, along with her guardian, revealed that the school's provided book list included the names of four auxiliary books. The school’s principal Keka Roy Chowdhury asserted, "Following the introduction of the new curriculum, guidebooks are not included in any class teachings.” If someone purchases these books, it is based on outdated curriculum, she claimed.
Even in schools like Dinajpur's Madhyashila Multi-purpose High School, where guidebooks are banned, students report being compelled to buy them. Teachers allegedly ask students to purchase these books on the first day of classes, specifying the publisher and author.
Commenting on the issue, SM Hafizur Rahman, a professor at Dhaka University's Institute of Education and Research, emphasised that guidebooks are hindering the growth of creative knowledge.
Despite the ban, guidebooks continue to thrive in the market. In areas like Nilkhet, Banglabazar, and Farmgate in the capital, guidebooks are openly sold like reference books. Buyers claim that schools mandate the purchase of these guidebooks.
Abul Mia, a bookseller in Nilkhet, mentioned that note and guidebooks sell consistently throughout the year, and the profit margin encourages shopkeepers to sell them. Several book traders in Nilkhet and Banglabazar estimate that students from class I to IX spend between Tk 500 to Tk 700 on guide and note books.
According to a 2022 survey by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), there are more than 11 million students from class I to XII. If each student spends Tk 500 on guidebooks per year, the total revenue from guidebooks surpasses Tk 500 crores.
Shyamal Paul, vice president of Bangladesh Book Publishers and Sellers Association, claims that the books being sold in the market are not guidebooks but supportive books. He argues that note or guidebooks were banned based on the 1980 syllabus, and since there is no current syllabus, the law is not effective.
There are allegations that guidebook publishers bribe teachers with hefty commissions to include their books in the curriculum. Teachers associations at district and upazila levels are reportedly influenced by these publishers, resulting in teachers forcing students to buy specific guidebooks.
A high school teacher in Dhaka, speaking anonymously, disclosed that publishing houses often pressure schools to include their guidebooks in the curriculum, and teachers receive substantial illegal payments through this arrangement.
Additionally, teachers who hand-make their own books are also part of this system.
Riyad Hossain, the owner of Moghaltuli book market in Cumilla, highlights that teachers act as middlemen in the guidebook business. Publishers directly contract with teachers, who receive a significant portion of the profit from book sales. Teachers allegedly receive Tk 50 out of Tk 60 profit by selling a Tk 40 book for Tk 100.
Responsibility for discontinuing the teaching of guidebooks lies with the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, the Directorate of Primary Education, and NCTB.
Director General of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, Professor Nehal Ahmed, said that there is no room for teaching any books other than NCTB-approved textbooks. He said that any school compelling students to purchase unauthorised books would face appropriate action.
