All primary school textbooks must be supplied by 5 November: Bobby Hajjaj

State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj has directed that all primary school textbooks be supplied by 5 November.

He also said that printing contracts for textbooks would no longer be awarded to presses using outdated machinery from next year.

He issued the directives during inspections of Bornomala Press and Global Printing Equipment in Matuail in the capital today (29 October).

During the visits, the state minister inspected the textbook printing process, machinery, paper quality and printing standards. He found inconsistencies in colour arrangements and alignment in several books.

Hajjaj warned the firms concerned to ensure that such defects did not affect large batches of books. 

He also stressed the need to strengthen quality control and supervision of printing work.

Accepting a textbook printing contract means ensuring that the prescribed standards are maintained, he said. Printing firms should assess their limitations before bidding for contracts. The capacity of their machinery or technical constraints cannot be used as an excuse to compromise on quality.

He added that completing the printing work alone was not enough. Every book must meet the required standards. Ensuring that students receive quality textbooks is the government’s responsibility, and negligence or substandard work would not be acceptable.

The state minister instructed the printing firms to ensure that all textbooks were supplied within the deadline and to prepare to use modern printing machinery with adequate capacity in the future.

Representatives of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB), the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, and the printing firms concerned were present during the inspections.