CHENNAI: With all schools in the State are set to reopen today, the School Education Department announced that it would be distributing textbooks, notebooks and atlas to government and aided schools on reopening day.
As per the data from the department, overall 70.67 lakh students will be given textbooks, 60.75 lakh students will get notebooks and atlas will be distributed to 8.22 lakh students.
As part of the welfare schemes by the State government, these students are given free items such as textbooks, notebooks, uniforms, footwear, atlas, crayons, colour pencils, geometry box, and bicycle, among other items. The stationary items are given by the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation.
For the current academic year, which is to start on June 10, the department has informed that students will get most items on the reopening date itself. Students in private schools have to purchase these items before schools reopen. And, several parents have alleged that the prices of these items have drastically gone up.
As per the members of State Consumer Products Distributors Association, prices of school-related items like notebooks, shoes, bags, brown paper, stationery items, etc., have shot up compared to last year; especially in western districts where they have doubled.