Std IX: Pune's Balbharati misses deadline

Although, many schools in the city reopened on Friday, standard IX students and teachers were staring at blank blackboards as textbooks of the changed syllabus have yet not reached them.

The principal of a Pune Municipal Corporation school, said, “We are at their mercy as we don’t have any books and we have to finish the syllabus in the stipulated time. At present, we have received only science and mathematics books. We know from education department officials that there would be a supplement for the science book which is yet to arrive in the market.’’

Another school principal said, “Last year, they changed the syllabus for standard X and again, it is going to be changed next year. Only for two years, they spent lakhs of rupees to change the syllabus. Had they taken a wise decision earlier, they would have saved money and parents and students could have been spared of mental harassment,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, Balbharati director Sarjerao Jadhav accepted that all books had not arrived in the market. It is mammoth task and it takes time to print thousands of books, he said. Earlier, he had said that books will reach the market by June 15.