According to guidelines framed by the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, teachers of these primary schools have been directed to prepare their own TLMs for which they are allotted funds. But this guideline cannot be applied in the case of the government-aided primary schools that are running short of teachers. While addressing a gathering at the pre-platinum jubilee celebration of All Bengal Primary Teachers' Association recently, Left Front chairman Mr Biman Bose had said that 45,000 posts of teachers in nearly 2,000 schools are lying vacant.

A primary teacher said: "It is difficult for teachers to prepare TLMs. If we are to follow the guidelines, we will have to miss out on teaching."

Despite being aware of the situation in primary schools, the state school education department has made no effort to revise guidelines or find other ways to implement the TLM project. To make matters worse, the education department's initial effort to make the TLMs available in the market have also fallen flat with teachers alleging non-availability of TLMs in the market. "TLMs are not easily available in the market. The organisation that is supposed to sell these materials simply cannot be located, and when it is found, it never seems to be open.

The material sold seems to be pirated art-work printed on poor-quality cards," another teacher complained. An official of the state school education department said there is no denying the poor marketing strategy of the TLMs in the city. This means few kits come within the reach of the schools.