MBoSE decision to change Class XI (science) text books opposed
SHILLONG: The sudden decision of Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBoSE) to change the text books for Class XI ( Science) has put booksellers in parts of quandary as they are now saddled with large stocks of old text books worth several lakhs of rupees which will now go waste.
Owners of several book stores rued on Tuesday that though they were not against change of text books, proper and prior information should have been given to them to prepare for it.
“The sudden decision by the MBoSE without giving enough time has not only landed us in dilemma, but also affected students and their parents,” they said.
MBoSE in its order issued on May 22 said that “in view of the emerging trends in the field of education, especially relating to the Science stream, the Government is examining closely the need to opt for change of textbooks”.
MBoSE has urged parents, teachers and students not to purchase textbooks for Class XI (Science) for the current academic session 2014- 2015 ) until further notice.
The All Meghalaya Book Sellers Association, meanwhile, has written a letter to MBoSE executive chairman E. P. Kharbih in this regard. President of the Association Bari Diengdoh Majaw in the letter has expressed its shock and surprise at the direction of the MBoSE to parents and students and schools affiliated to the board not to purchase prescribed textbooks for Class XI (Science) until further notice as the government is examining closely the need to opt for change of textbooks.
The Association convened an emergency meeting in Shillong and rued that there had been no timely information at all from the Board regarding the change or even an intention for the same. Most of the schools and colleges commence Class XI classes generally in the last week of May or the first week of June,
“We have ordered and procured the prescribed books from the publishers well ahead of time to be made available to the students and the schools in order to ensure that there is no delay in the academic activities for the students for want of text books and that in our desire to serve the schools and the student community, we have spent huge amount of money for the procurement of the books,” the Association said.
It said that the book sellers have already begun the sale of the text books already prescribed to the students and supplied to the schools that are setting up their own counters for sale and that, in their estimate, about 25% of the books have been sold.
Stating that the change of text books at this juncture for the academic year 2014-15 which was about to commence in all the schools and colleges would cause huge financial loss to all the book sellers of Meghalaya and the student community who have already made the purchases, he said that the previous Executive Chairman of the Board in January 2008 had assured the Association that the Board will ensure to inform the Association well in advance regarding any change in the prescribed text books so as to enable the book sellers not to procure and hold additional stock of the existing text books and to make the stocks of new books available ahead of time for the benefit of the student community.
The Association has requested MBoSE Executive chairman to reconsider the proposal of the Board to change the text books of the science stream for the academic year 2014 – 15 and delay the same for the next academic year in order that there is no financial loss for the book sellers and the students and schools.
“If the Board can impress upon the publishers of the prescribed books on a tripartite agreement among the Board, Publishers and our Association to take back all the copies of the prescribed books in stock with the book sellers, we will have absolutely no issue in effecting the change for the academic year 2014 – 15,” Association stated. Schools have been given the list of science books and students have also brought several books and the sudden notice of MBOSE is creating a burden on the people especially poor people.
“If prior information was given we could have liquidated the books,” books sellers adding till now everyone is in dark about new syllabus and Class XI syllabus is taught within six months.