Jayanti Baral, a student of Badimalika Secondary School in Raskot Municipality, Kalikot, is thrilled to receive a new book as soon as she joined class 6 this year. ‘Last year, I completed class 5 with the old book given to me by the school,’ she said. ‘I feel excited to read when I get a new book in the new class.’ 

Hikmat Shahi, a student of class 9, also said that he was happy to receive the book on the first day. ‘Earlier, the entire book never came. When I read it from my friend’s book, I didn’t understand what my teacher was teaching,’ he said. ‘This time, I got a new book right from the start.’

In Karnali, many students had to take exams without even having a textbook in their hands. This year, with the start of admission and classes, students are excited, teachers are happy. Parents are also not worried.

In Karnali, many students had to take exams without even having textbooks in their hands last year. With the start of admissions and classes this year, students are excited and teachers are also happy. There are 3,266 community schools in Karnali. Last year, 595,599 students were enrolled in those schools. The Education Development Directorate under the Ministry of Social Development of Karnali Province has estimated that the same number of students will be admitted this year as well. ‘Most schools have already started classes,’ said Deepa Hamal, acting director of the directorate. ‘In some schools, classes are also being conducted along with admissions. All the admitted students have already received books.’ The directorate has been making arrangements for the distribution of textbooks to schools in Karnali to ensure that textbooks reach the hands of students.

According to the Janak Education Material Center, about 80,868 sets of books have reached schools across Karnali this year, out of the approximately 120,000 sets of new books required this year, about 120,000 sets of books have already reached schools. ‘In addition, some books from last year are available in schools and stationery stores,’ said Jamuna Dhakal, the provincial head of Janak Shiksha. ‘The private sector prints books for some classes and distributes them through them. Overall, about 80 percent of the books have reached schools so far.’

Janak Shiksha has listed 89 bookstores across the province to distribute textbooks. So far, the highest number of books, 17,984, has been distributed in Dailekh and the lowest number, 5,666, in Jajarkot. 

Janak Shiksha distributes books for classes 3 and 5 to 10, while the private sector has been given the responsibility of publishing and distributing textbooks for classes 1, 2 and 4. In some local levels, schools have borrowed books and distributed them to students due to lack of funds for textbooks.

Some students have gone out of the district with their parents, so the school admission campaign is still ongoing, said Yagyashwar Khatri, head of the Education Development and Coordination Unit, Jajarkot. ‘Most of the parents here go to India for work, and some students have gone there to meet their parents after the exams are over,’ he said. ‘Some students have also gone to pick herbs and work outside the district with their parents.’ According to Khatri, about 80 percent of the students have been admitted.

The perennial problem of not having enough textbooks in Karnali

Janak Shiksha has stated that the entrepreneurs who delivered about 80 percent of the books in the first phase will now take more books based on the demand of the schools. According to Dhakal, the provincial head of Janak Shiksha, this is the year in which the highest number of books have been sent in Karnali in the last decade before the enrollment campaign began. Last year, about 40 percent of the books were sent to 5 hilly and 5 mountainous districts of Karnali during the enrollment campaign. In 2081, about 49 percent, in 2080, 48 percent, and in 2079, 45 percent of the books were sent.

In 2078, 40 percent of the books were sent. According to Janak Shiksha's data, 30 to 40 percent of the books were sent in previous years. 'This year, there was a lot of free time after the annual exams were over,' said Dhakal, the provincial head. 'Since the course did not change, the books were printed on time, and businessmen also came to get the books on time. We also sent them quickly.' There are 39 community schools in Soru rural municipality of Mugu, in which about 5,500 students have been enrolled. But the municipality did not release nearly Rs 2 million for textbooks for the students, so the books were purchased on loan, said Govinda Shahi, a teacher at Sorukot Basic School. Chief Administrative Officer Kushal Baral, who was transferred two weeks ago, has not been present at the municipality. 

Karnali students receive books along with admission

The textbooks have not been released after the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority filed a case and suspended the accountant, said Birendra Malla, head of the rural municipality's education branch. 'Even though the books were on loan, the students received them,' he said, 'teaching has already started in all schools.'

Balbir Sunar, a senior education officer at the Ministry of Social Development of Karnali Province, says that in the past, there was a delay in reaching the books due to the lack of transport facilities to rural areas, but that is not the case this year. ‘This year, Humla has received vehicles, while many other districts have reliable transport facilities to the district headquarters. That is why there is less problem in transportation than before,’ he said, ‘and in some municipalities, there is also a compulsion to transport on mules.’

Balbir Sunar, Senior Education Officer at the Ministry of Social Development of Karnali Province, says that in the past, books used to be delayed in reaching rural areas due to the lack of transport facilities, but this year, that is not the case.

According to Sunar, until a few years ago, stationery traders used to delay the delivery of books to the Himalayan district, citing transport problems. Even when there was a previous District Education Office, there was a delay in releasing the textbook funds.

Pushparaj Baral, Principal of Badimalika Secondary School, said that in the past, students did not receive textbooks or received them late, which affected their studies. ‘When students did not have books in their hands, it was difficult for teachers to teach. What homework to give, how to give it, and what to read at home. But now students get books at the beginning of the academic session and read them at home,' he said. 

470 students admitted to Janajivan Secondary School in Kalikot have also received books upon admission. 'They are very happy after receiving new books for the first time,' said the school's principal Tej Bahadur Shahi, 'This year, students were freed from the obligation of reading old books.'  According to Baral, until last year, transporters used to delay the delivery of books to schools. When the entire set of books was not received, students were forced to distribute old textbooks. According to him, 312 students have been admitted to Badimalika so far. All of them have received books upon admission.

According to Kamal Nepali, a teacher at Bhairav ​​Secondary School in Sinja Rural Municipality of Jumla, 410 students admitted to that school this year have received books. ‘Earlier, there were problems like Janak Shiksha not printing books on time, even when they were printed, the local level would release the textbook money late, and the businessmen would not bring the books until the money was received,’ he said. ‘Students would get the books only 2/3 months after admission. Some years, the books would not come for even 6 months.’

Jaya Bahadur Bam, principal of Saraswati Secondary School in Jairgaun, Sarkegad Rural Municipality-1, Humla, said that there is a psychological relationship between textbooks and students for learning. ‘If there are books, students learn faster, and it is easier to participate in academic activities including homework,’ he said. ‘When students have books in their hands, it is also easier for teachers to teach.’ He said that books will also boost the morale of students in their learning. ‘When you tell them something new, it becomes uniquely approachable. The same happens in the case of students. If students get books on time, and that too new, it creates an environment for them to read from the beginning,' he said, 'If they develop a desire to read from the beginning, they will continue to read until later. Many students have even left school in the middle without books.'

Jaya Bahadur Bam, principal of Saraswati Secondary School in Jairgaun, Sarkegad Rural Municipality-1, Humla, said that there is a psychological relationship between textbooks and students for reading.

According to principal Bam, when textbooks did not arrive on time, it used to be difficult to complete the 'course'. That also affected the results. He informed that 390 students enrolled in the school this year have already received the books. Last year, students in that school received the books in Asad, while the books arrived in Shrawan the previous year.