On June 25, Raipur’s District Education Officer issued an eight-point directive, catching schools and parents off-guard. By this time, most students had already completed two months of their academic session. Many parents had bought books worth thousands in April, only to now be told: “Wait, the government will distribute free books.”
“I bought books worth Rs 10,000 for my three daughters because schools reopened in April,” says Dhalendra Sahu, a small trader from Raipur. “Now, if the syllabus changes, we’ll suffer. Almost 70 per cent people will face problems. We don’t earn enough to buy books twice.”
Mr Sahu, who earns Rs 25,000 to Rs 28,000 a month from agriculture, has three daughters – one each in Class 8, 3, and nursery. Like many parents, he trusted the schools’ word and got the books early. Now, the government’s order feels like an afterthought – like it, too, came back from a long summer break.
The June 25 order left private schools scrambling. While books hadn’t arrived, the department suggested they should wait. Rajiv Gupta, president of the Private School Association, says they had no choice but to move ahead with private publishers.Odisha Officer Dragged Out Of His Office, Kicked In Face, 3 Arrested
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