Textbooks shortage irks Punjab students

Rawalpindi 

Despite start of new academic session textbooks of various subjects are still unavailable to students of private and government schools.

The new academic year has started from April 1 but many textbooks of Punjab Textbook Board (PTB) are still not available in the market causing problems for the students of government and private schools.

The students and their parents are complaining non-availability of various prescribed books published by the PTB.

The parents say since PTB books are not available and they are being forced to buy expensive books printed by private publishers as some teachers have started fining the children for not bringing the books.

Mushtaq, father of a student complained that every year the PTB delayed publication of one or two books. “But this year he said various books were not available,” he added.

Irfan, owner of a bookstore in Tench Bhatta said most books were available.

Since PTB books came with a subsidy, he said the parents did not want to buy books by private publishers.

The parents have urged the authorities concerned to ensure the availability of textbooks in the market so that children could start their studies without wasting time.

Booksellers in Urdu Bazaar and Saddar said that the parents complaints about the non availability of books is correct adding that they were informed in March that the books would be provided to them in a few days but they are still waiting for their arrival.

A spokesperson for Punjab Textbook Board said the textbooks of Class 5 were not available in the market few days back but now their availability in the market is being ensured.

He also claimed that the textbooks of Class 3, 7, 8 and 10 are available in the market as these books were released in time.