Schools start without Class 6 textbooks, state’s new curriculum causes delay

3 min readPuneJun 17, 2026 01:56 AM IST

Similarly, a Zilla Parishad school principal from Pune’s Bhor taluka said that his school had received the English textbook for class 6 but no other textbooks for the grade. The principal of a Pune Municipal Corporation school also said that class 6 textbooks for all subjects had not been received.

Government schools in Maharashtra began the 2026-27 academic year on June 15 without class 6 textbooks. The delay in preparation of the State’s new CBSE-based curriculum, rolled out for four grades including class 6 this year, has resulted in this situation.

Under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme, students from classes 1 to 8 in local self-government schools and aided schools are provided with free textbooks. This year, the new CBSE-based textbooks have been introduced for classes 2, 3, 4, and 6. However the delay in approval and preparation of the class 6 textbooks has left teachers in lurk.

Further, a 21-day bridge course has also been designed by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) to help students cover the gap between the old and the new curriculum. While the SCERT has made a PDF copy of this course available on its website, the physical bridge course book—much like the regular textbooks—has not yet reached the schools.

During a meeting with journalists earlier in June, Anuradha Oak, Director of the state’s textbook production bureau Balbharti, had said that class 6 textbooks are expected to reach schools by June 30. Till then, the bride course will be taught to students in schools, she had said. However, schools have not received the bride course material either.

In response, Hemant Vasekar, director of SCERT, told The Indian Express, “The completion of the bridge course is not related to the delay in class 6 textbooks. If the whole process for class 2,3,4 and 6 has taken this much time, then the bridge course is only the next step in the process.”

“The curriculum for class 2,3, and 4 got approval in February, and class 6 was approved as late as May. Textbook preparation started after that. The books will be available in phases just like this process,” he said.

He added, “We dispatched the bridge course books last Friday and they have been received by the district heads of all districts in Western Maharashtra. They will now be distributing it amongst schools in the coming days.” Schools in Vidharbha region are scheduled to commence their academic year from June 30 due to heat, therefore the books will be sent there later.

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Principals on class 6 textbooks

The Indian Express spoke to heads of multiple schools who confirmed that they had not received the textbooks. Tanaji Mane, President of the Maharashtra State Secondary and Higher Secondary School Principal’s Association, said, “We have only received Maths and English textbooks for class 6. The bridge course books are separate and we have not received those either.” Mane is the Principal of the Sharadchandra Pawar School in Solapur.

How will they teach students without textbooks? Mane said, “The syllabus in some way will be the same. Grammar will be taught in Hindi and Marathi. Similarly we will manage for other subjects.”

Similarly, a Zilla Parishad school principal from Pune’s Bhor taluka said that his school had received the English textbook for class 6 but no other textbooks for the grade. The principal of a Pune Municipal Corporation school also said that class 6 textbooks for all subjects had not been received.

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Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting.

Professional Background

Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune.

Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics.

Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure.

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His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories:

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Signature Style

Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty.

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