Students of primary and secondary schools have to be at their institutions on Jan 1 to collect free textbooks supplied by the government.
The education ministry has decided to hold its textbook festival on that day — which, being Friday is a holiday — instead of on Jan 2 as announced earlier.
The new date coincides with the programme schedule of the primary and mass education ministry.
The change of date was finalized at a meeting chaired by Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid at the Secretariat on Wednesday.
The primary and mass education ministry had announced a day earlier its textbook distribution program on Jan 1.
Nahid was initially reluctant to bring children to school on a weekend day.
But he had said the program date would be fixed in consultation with the ministry of primary and mass education.
The education ministry’s Deputy Secretary Subodh Chandra Dhali said, after the meeting on Wednesday that the textbook festival will be held across the country.
All secondary schools will remain open on that day to host the event.
Nahid will hand over books to students of Classes VI to IX at the Government Laboratory School, in Dhaka, at 9am, said Dhali.
Primary and Mass Education Minister Mostafizur Rahman will inaugurate his ministry’s program on Jan 1 at the National Bangla Primary School in the capital’s Mirpur.
A day before that, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will formally inaugurate the textbook festival on Dec 31.
This year, 350 million new textbooks will be distributed free among primary and secondary school students.
For the past few years, the two ministries have been jointly holding the colorful event on the same day.
The primary and mass education ministry will give away books to students of Classes I to V, while the education ministry will take care of classes VI to XI.
Education ministry officials had said earlier that the primary and mass education ministry’s choice of Jan 1 had been prompted by an urge to draw media attention.
But primary education officials maintained that their efforts were usually overshadowed by the education ministry’s program whenever there was a joint event.
Nahid held an urgent meeting with the ministry’s secretary, secondary and higher education director general, NCTB chairman, and other officials after media reported that the two ministries were holding separate programs this year.
An education ministry official said that “There could be a loss of interest if the program were to be held a day after the other ministry’s function. That is why we have moved the date.”
