Bengal: Include 19 of CM's books in school libraries across state, says Education dept circular
The STATE Education Department has issued a circular instructing all government and government-aided secondary and higher secondary schools in the state to include 19 books written by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in their school libraries.
A notice has been sent from the Commissioner of School Education to all District Inspectors of Schools listing approximately 560 titles to be procured and shelved. Among these, 19 are authored by Banerjee, including Amar Pahar, Amar Jungle, Nandi Ma, Poribartan, and Soja Sapta.
The directive is part of a Rs 20.26 crore library development grant provided to 2,026 schools across the state, with each school receiving Rs 1 lakh. The list of recommended books has been divided into five regional sets and sent to school authorities in 25 districts.
All district inspectors have been directed to ensure that the schools adhere to the list. However, the circular has sparked criticism from educators.
Animesh Halder, of the Secondary Teachers and Employees Association, told The Indian Express, 'This order is a serious blow to the autonomy of educational institutions. We strongly oppose it.Schools should have the right to choose books for their libraries. This project doesn't aim to expand students' knowledge in literature, science, history or other subjects. It is simply a vehicle to promote the government's own agenda.'
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