School textbooks to cost over Rs. 2,400 million

by S.M. Wijayaratne, Kurunegala Cor.

"The Department of Educational Publications has taken measures in distributing free textbooks for 2014 among government schools islandwide. Over 38 million copies of textbooks would be distributed among schools including schools in the northern and Eastern Provinces.

Tissa Hewavitarana, the Commissioner General of Educational Publications Department told 'Sunday Observer' at a meeting of Divisional Directors of Education in Kurunegala recently that 437 varieties of free textbooks in Sinhala, Tamil and English have been printed for the year 2014 and a sum of Rs. 2,400 million have been invested by the government for this purpose. He said that the National ceremony of free textbooks distribution would be held before December 6, 2013 under the patronage of Minister of Education and Minister of Educational Services.

Requirements of free textbooks would be sent to all schools islandwide without any shortage before that date and all school heads have been instructed to educate the students on the importance of handling free textbooks with love and care for their juniors who are to study these textbooks.

"Not only students, but teachers and parents too have a responsibility in advising and supervising students to see whether students handle their free textbooks with due care and love as this process will lead to save hundreds of million rupees of public funds annually in printing textbooks", Tissa Hewavitarana said.