Students to get textbooks as new academic session begins

KATHMANDU, March 23: As the new academic session kicks off, students in public schools will start the year with a big advantage—textbooks in hand. This year, with textbooks published on time, the Janak Education Materials Center (JEMC) says students will walk into classrooms ready to learn for the 2026/27 session, without having to wait for books to arrive.

The government distributes free textbooks annually to public school students to improve learning outcomes. This year, the JEMC was tasked with printing 16 million textbooks for classes 3, 5 through 10. By Sunday, March 22, 15 million textbooks had already been prepared, said Managing Director Yadu Nath Paudel. The government has allocated Rs 2 billion for free textbooks in community schools for these classes.

Paudel said that recent government assignments have strengthened the JEMC, giving it a broader mandate to handle textbooks for classes 3 through 10. Since 2064 BS, private publishers have also been involved in printing textbooks under the public–private partnership policy. This year, seven private publishers were listed to print textbooks for classes 1, 2, and 4.

“Regional offices in Biratnagar, Janakpur, Pokhara, Nepalganj, Butwal, Surkhet, Dhangadhi, and our headquarters are all ready for sales and distribution,” Paudel said. “Students will receive new books as they enroll. Distribution from all depots begins March 29.”

The JEMC has also translated mathematics, science, and health textbooks into English for private schools. “Including these translations, our target is to print 17.2 million books this year. The work is on track,” Paudel said. Preparations are underway to deliver books to Himalayan districts from depots in Surkhet, Nepalganj, and Biratnagar.

However, Paudel noted a challenge: private publishers offer higher commissions to book sellers—up to 30%—compared with the JEMC’s 9%. “Although private publishers are assigned only classes 1, 2, and 4, they often print and sell books for classes 3 and 5 too. This means sellers prefer buying from them, causing financial loss to the Center,” he said. Last year, only 30% of the JEMC-printed books for classes 3 and 5 were sold.

Role of private publishers shrinking

Private publishers claim that 18 years ago, the government involved them in school-level textbook printing because JEMC could not deliver books on time in the Eastern region. Now, they say, the government is gradually reducing their rights. Even though 21 private publishers were once included, the number has been cut down to seven, according to publisher Deepak Bhandari.

“Earlier, private publishers were given responsibility for classes 1 through 8 in 41 districts due to quality and reliable distribution,” Bhandari said. “Later, their scope was restricted to classes 1–5, even though they retained sales rights across 77 districts. This year, they handle only classes 1, 2, and 4. Reducing the number of publishers from 21 to seven has devastated the private sector, with some assets at risk of auction.”

Textbooks on time boost confidence

Teachers say timely delivery of books increases student confidence. Rīta Tiwari, principal of Padmakanya Bidyashram, Dillibazar, Kathmandu, said students entering classrooms with new books develop focus and a habit of attentive study.

“When students have books in hand, they pay better attention to lessons and understand content more effectively,” Tiwari said. “It improves learning outcomes and motivates teachers. Students gain confidence and a strong desire to learn.”

She added that having textbooks in class sparks curiosity about illustrations and exercises, encourages group discussion, and overall enhances learning. “We have seen that receiving books on time has a positive impact on student learning,” she said.