Kathmandu, January 17

Curriculum Development Centre, Sanothimi, has decided to introduce colourful textbooks for the students of Grade I to V from the upcoming academic session.

With this decision, around 20 million new textbooks of five different subjects must be printed within a few months. From the new academic session that starts from April, primary students will get colourful textbooks of Mathematics, English, Nepali, Science and Social & Creative Studies.

Executive Director Krishna Prasad Kapri said colourful text books will generate curiosity among young learners and will also enhance their learning abilities,” said Kapri.

“At a time, when there is a competition among private schools to introduce colourful and attractive textbooks, the government has no other alternative than to publish colourful textbooks for primary students,” he added.

The government will distribute these textbooks free of cost, according to CDC officials. CDC also claimed that they had already started providing colourful textbooks to students of Grade I and II from the last academic session.

However, the students of Grade I and II at Adharsha Secondary School, Sanothimi, said that they did not get any colourful textbook. “We have not even got the normal textbooks,” they added.  Primary teachers of the same school also expressed their doubts over the government’s ability to provide colourful textbooks to all students on time.

As many as 18 private printing presses have been entrusted with printing colourful textbooks.

As the country has adopted the federal system, local governments will facilitate distribution of textbooks, said Spokesperson for CDC Khubiram Adhikari.

Executive director at CDC said the government had spent Rs 1.95 billion to buy textbooks last year and the government will have to spend Rs 25 million more for printing colourful textbooks.