PHC moved against under-supply of free textbooks to schools

PESHAWAR: A petition was filed in the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday that challenged the government’s move to cut the supply of the free textbooks to the students enrolled at the state-run schools.

Fawad Afzal Safi filed the petition in the public interest. The KP chief secretary and secretary for elementary and secondary education were made respondents.The petitioner said ensuring basic education was the constitutional obligation of the government. He said legislation was done and that provided for free education to children under 16 years of age.

It was pointed out that the education was devolved to the provinces after the 18th Amendment to the Constitution was passed.The petitioner said that free books used to be provided to the students up to 12th grade in the province in the past. This led to an increase in the enrolment ratio.

He said the KP government through a notification on January 26, this year, cut the number of books being supplied to the state-run schools.The petitioner said this step amounted to depriving poor children of education as the parents were unable to bear the expenses incurred on the education of their children.

He said the government had reduced the supply of free books to primary schools by 20 percent while there was a 50 percent cut on the supply of books meant for grades 6 to 12.The petitioner said the very action of the KP government was against the law and the constitution, calling for its reversal.