Punjab enacts law on guidebooks, guess papers business

LAHORE: The booming and flourishing business of guidebooks and guess papers, which has continued unchecked and unregulated over years, is going to be regulated at least in Punjab with the new Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board Act 2015.
The bill was passed by the Punjab Assembly on Monday, which says: “No person shall print, publish, sell or prescribe in an institution any supplementary material including guides, guess papers, get through guides or any other reading material ancillary to a textbook, supports implementation and enhancement of learning in curricula” without prior approval of the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board.
The Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board Act 2015 is related to the arrangements for formulation and implementation of curricula, development and approval of textbooks, manuscripts and supplementary material, production and publication of textbooks for classes I to XII (Intermediate).
According to the bill, a board shall be established to be known as the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board for implementation of the act. The board shall be a body corporate, and shall have powers to acquire hold and transfer property.
The act clearly states: “The Board shall not approve the printing, publication, selling or prescribing in an institution of any textbook or supplementary material which is or is likely to be detrimental for examination or assessment purposes, or which contains anything repugnant to the injunctions of Islam, or contrary to the integrity, defence or security of Pakistan or any part of Pakistan, public order or mortality.”
Section 14 of the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board Act 2015, which deals with “offence and penalty” reads “If a person to whom a direction or prohibition has been issued under this Act, fails to carry out the direct or prohibition, he shall be liable to punishment of imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years of fine or both.”
The bill further states that the Board shall consist of a chairperson managing director, secretary finance, secretary schools, secretary Higher Education, secretary Literacy Department, chairman Punjab Examination Commission, chairman Punjab Education Foundation, programme director of Directorate of Staff Development or their nominees, a chairman of Board of Intermediate & Secondary Education to be nominated by Ministry of Education, five persons including at least women, from amongst the academicians, professionals and technocrats, three teachers of schools (including one from private sector and at least one female teacher), and a member of the Punjab Assembly.