Govt allocates Rs. 1,890 m for free school books

W.P.B. FONSEKA, Bingiriya group correspondent

BINGIRIYA: The Government has allocated Rs. 1890 million for the printing and distribution of free school textbooks for 2008. Arrangements are being made to send them to the schools in the next two months.

Zonal educational authorities have been requested to forward their requirements of free textbooks and all schools will be provided with adequate stocks of textbooks, said W.M.C. Balasooriya, former Deputy Director of Education Bingiriya. He was addressing school principals of the Bingiriya electorate at Bingiriya National School.

The Director said some school principals of National Schools and Central Schools where students study in the English medium sold the free textbooks to international schools and had obtained more text books.

An investigation is being conducted into this as all school principals are responsible for the free textbooks they obtain from the department.

He said students should be educated on the value of free textbooks and should be encouraged to use the textbooks with care. School heads should not store additional textbooks.

The Director said Minister of Education Susil Premajayantha has made every effort to provide textbooks in time. In previous years there were some lapses in distribution resulting in delays of handing over textbooks to students.