Assam: Students of govt schools receive free textbooks in Hailakandi

Hailakandi

Free textbooks were distributed to students of Class XI of 14 Higher Secondary Schools in Hailakandi district of Assam.

Taking part in the district level inaugural distribution function held at Indra Kumari Girls’ Higher Secondary School in Hailakandi town on Friday, Additional Deputy Commissioner (In-charge of Education), Ruth Lienthang formally handed over free textbooks to few students of Class XI. 50 textbooks were ceremonially distributed in the function.

“The aim of the government is to provide the required assistance to students to learn and excel in life,” said Lienthang.

The Additional Deputy Commissioner exhorted upon the students to put in hard work and efforts to come out successful in life and to actively take part in the nation building process.

Reminiscing her school days, Lienthang said she is indebted to her teachers for what she is today and urged the students to love and respect their teachers ‘as they are the builders of our future’.

Earlier, in his welcome address, Inspector of Schools, Rajiv Kumar Jha, termed the event as a historic one ‘as it is for the first time ever free textbooks are being distributed to students of Class XI across the state’.

Around 14,000 Class XI textbooks will be distributed across the district in the next couple of days, said Jha.

Jha urged the students to properly utilise the textbooks provided by the government free of cost and to put in concerted efforts to put Hailakandi district in the numero uno position in the educational firmament.

MLA Principal of Indra Kumari Girls’ HS School, Deepak Chakraborty, eminent educationist Binoy Bhushan Nath and principals of senior secondary schools were also present at the event.

It may be mentioned here that the present state government prior to today’s free distribution of textbooks to government school students of Class XI, has had already given away more than 3 crore textbooks right from Ka-shreni to Class X incurring a total cost of Rs 111.98 crore. The textbooks have been prepared and printed in as many as 17 languages for schools that impart education in nine different mediums across the state.

The government has also initiated steps to provide free textbooks in certain subjects to students of Class XII from the current academic year. The government would soon extend supply of free uniforms to students from the existing Class VIII to Class XII.

While 2.13 crore copies of textbooks were provided to students from Ka-shreni (the entry-level class in primary schools) to Class VII at a cost of Rs.77.19 crore, around Rs 27.83 crore were spent in distribution of 92.17 lakh copies of textbooks to students of Classes IX and X. The government also spent Rs 6.96 crore for printing and supply of 27.56 lakh textbooks under the Rashtrabhasha Prachar Samiti.