Gaighat, August 17:

Academic activities have been disrupted in most of the schools in Udayapur district due to the lack of textbooks. Students do not have their textbooks even after four months have passed since the commencement of new academic session.

As the syllabus of grade IX and X was changed and books were not published on time, there is lack of textbooks, Santosh Hari Neupane, a local book dealer said.

“Though some textbooks for grade IX and X were found three months ago, other books for the grades are not available in the market yet,” he said, adding that the books were not available even in the office of Sajha Publications.

Book dealers said that Social Studies and Moral Science books for grade VIII were also lacking in the market.

“We had demand the distributors for 100 books to, however, only 10 books were sent,” Srijan Rai, owner of Krishna Stationery in Gaighat said.

Students, teachers and guardians have been worrying due to lack of textbooks. Students said that they were forced to sit in the examination without having a glimpse of some textbooks.

Phlam Singh Rai, a resident of Rauta village development committee, who is in Gaighat to purchase book for his ninth grader son said that he has not been able to get textbooks despite his repeated visits to Gaighat.

Amrit Hamal, chairman of Udaypur chapter of Nepal Teachers’ Association said that some 39,000 students have been deprived of textbooks.

“How the students in rural areas could get the textbooks at a time when they are lacking in the district headquarters?” he questioned.

There are 279 primary, 53 lower secondary and 58 secondary schools in Udaypur district, the Udayapur District Education Office said, adding that some 90,000 students are studying in the schools.