Baitadi, May 8:

Classes in several schools in the district have been disrupted due to the lack of textbooks even as one month has already been passed after the new academic session began.

Textbooks for Grade IX and X are not available in the market, while textbooks of other grades, too, are in short supply.

Students and their guardians visit markets for books everyday, but to no avail. Bookshops said textbook for Grade IX and X are not available in the district and they were not sure when the books would be supplied to them.

“Books of up to Grade VIII were supplied once, but the textbooks for Grade IX and X have never been supplied to the district this year,” said Indrajit Bhatta, the sole distributor Sajha Publications’ books in the district. He said, “Currently, there is no stock of textbooks for Grade III and books for other grades are also in short supply.”

Most of the students either do not go to the school or go there just to mark their attendances.

“Textbooks of many subjects for Grade VI, VII and VIII are also lacking in the market,” proprietor of Saptasedar Bookshop at Gothalepani, Yogeshwor Shah, said. He said 50 students visit his shop everyday for books just to return empty-handed.