MUMBAI: As schools across Maharashtra reopen on June 15, nearly 1.3 million State Board students are set to begin the new academic year without textbooks.PUDUCHERRY, INDIA - DECEMBER Circa, 2018. Unidentified happy classmates in government school uniforms sitting, studying reading books indoors classroom. Portrait of school poor teenagers enjoying life (Shutterstock)Students of Classes 3, 4 and 6 are among the worst affected, as several textbooks prepared under the revised curriculum aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 have yet to reach schools and bookstores. Teachers and parents say English and Mathematics textbooks for Classes 3 and 4 remain unavailable in many parts of the state, while most Class 6 textbooks, except Hindi, have not been delivered.With classrooms reopening today, many students will walk into school without the books that usually mark the beginning of a new academic year. According to the latest data on the state’s student registration portal, around 1.3 million students studying in these classes under the State Board are likely to be affected.Free textbook distribution also hitThe delay has disrupted the government’s free textbook distribution programme as well. Available data shows that nearly 15% of students in every district and municipal council area have not yet received the textbooks provided by the state for children studying in government and government-aided schools.The situation is particularly challenging for Class 6 students, who are the first batch to study under an entirely new curriculum introduced this year as part of the NEP rollout.Teachers across the state say they are uncertain about how lessons will be conducted until the textbooks arrive. To bridge the gap, schools have been advised to use bridge-course booklets, popularly known as Setu books, prepared by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT). The booklets are designed to help students transition into the revised curriculum until regular textbooks become available.This year, the curriculum for Classes 2, 3, 4 and 6 has been revised to align with the National Education Policy. Balbharati, the state’s textbook bureau, began producing the new textbooks around two months ago. Education department officials had reportedly considered postponing the implementation of the new Class 6 curriculum because of the challenge of simultaneously preparing books for four standards. However, the department ultimately decided to go ahead with the rollout as scheduled.A teacher associated with the textbook preparation process, speaking on condition of anonymity, said discussions over curriculum changes and implementation timelines consumed considerable time, affecting the production schedule. Traditionally, textbooks are first prepared in Marathi and later translated into other languages. This year, delays occurred even in the preparation of the Marathi versions.Teachers have also highlighted practical difficulties with the alternative learning material. The Setu books are currently available only online through the SCERT website and must be printed before they can be used in classrooms. Moreover, the material is available only in Marathi medium, leaving teachers from other mediums struggling to find suitable teaching resources.Vijay Kombe, chairperson of the Maharashtra Prathamik Shikshak Samiti, said the curriculum overhaul was known well in advance and authorities should have planned the transition more effectively. He noted that receiving new textbooks on the first day of school generates enthusiasm among students and helps create excitement about learning. This year, many children will miss that experience.Responding to the concerns, Dr Anuradha Oak, director of Balbharati, said textbooks for Classes 2, 3 and 4 in all mediums have already been dispatched from depots. She said regular textbook-based teaching will begin only after the 21-day bridge-course period.According to Oak, printing of the Class 6 Marathi-medium textbooks has been completed and distribution is underway. Around 40% of the books are expected to reach students by the first day of school, while the remaining Marathi-medium textbooks will be delivered within a week. Textbooks for students studying in other mediums are expected to reach them by June 30.Criticising the decision, Jalandar Sarode, working president, Shikshak Sena Maharashtra, said, “A major announcement regarding the new curriculum was made, but the government has failed to place the necessary books in the students hands-on time. It is a tragedy of the education system that students must first attend school and then wait indefinitely for their books to arrive.”He further stated that speaking of quality education without textbooks amounts to making a mockery of both students and teachers. The government should focus on actual implementation rather than merely making announcements.