SHC directs STB to provide books to students as per policy

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed the Sindh Textbook Board (STB) to provide books on students as per the policy. The high court has also directed the education department to submit a report with regard to implementation of the law that binds private schools in the province to provide free education to 10 per cent of their total students.

The direction came on Saifullah Baloch’s petition seeking a direction for the STBB for providing syllabus books to the students and schools as per the policy and another plea.

Baloch had submitted that the finance department had released an amount of Rs2,500 million to the STB for supply of syllabus books for the academic session but syllabus books were not yet provided to students and schools.

He submitted that teachers were unable to teach students due to unavailability of books and students had been deprived from their right of education.

The high court was requested to direct the STB to provide books to the students and schools so that they could continue with their academic session. He said that citizens, parents and education institutions had also expressed concern over the shortage of curriculum books.

A division bench of the SHC headed by Justice Salahuddin Panhwar after a preliminary hearing of the petition issued notices to the STB and others, and called their comments on September 18.

In the meantime, the high court directed the STB to provide books to the students and schools as per the policy.

On the plea regarding implementation of the Sindh Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, the SHC observed that private schools were bound to provide free education to 10 per cent of the total strength of their students and directed the education department to submit a progress report with regard to implementation of the law.