'Book bank scheme' to be implemented in TN government schools from this year

The School Education Department will implement the 'book bank' scheme in primary and middle schools from this year. Speaking to Edex, Director of School Education, S Kannappan said, “The National Green Tribunal in Delhi has directed all states and union territories to immediately implement the book bank scheme, to save the environment. Based on instructions, we have already instructed Chief Educational Officers (CEOs) to take necessary steps to implement the book bank scheme in all government and aided schools.”

An Eco club coordinator at the Chief Education Office, (CEO) said, “The state government has been providing more than 8 crore textbooks to the government school students free of cost, every year. Using the 40,000 tones pages, the books are printed and distributed to students across the state. As a result, natural sources like trees, are destroyed. We want to reduce the damage to the environment through this scheme,” adding, “The headmasters will collect the first term books from the students who are studying in Class I to Class VIII. Later, the teachers will issue the collected books, which are in good condition, to students in the upcoming academic year.” A middle school headmaster M Vijayalakshmi in Sulur block, said, “Already, we have given instructions to students that they should not tear the pages, should not sell books to the old waste paper shop, etc. We will collect the books from the students, who have completed their first term from class I to class VIII, from Thursday onwards."