Teachers in schools have started forcing students to bring textbooks from their own sources as new textbooks are still not available in the market and old books banks have doubled the prices of old books.
Though Punjab government had supplied the syllabus for distribution among the students from Ist to tenth but education bureaucracy was employing delaying tactics. While private educational institutions students are wandering from one shop to other in search of books. However headmaster told this scribe that they did not receive the books from textbook board.
It was announced that the schools would provide the textbooks to their students but students are still waiting for them because these books have not so far been published.
Students and their parents alleged that now teachers have started forcing students to bring textbooks from their own sources. The owners of the old book banks have doubled the prices of the old textbooks, which are not available in the market. Students alleged that teachers were forcing them and selling books at double rates, taking advantage of the situation. Sources in the education ministry told that it would take more than 15 to 25 days to bring new textbooks in the market.
The reason for this delay is that first they were planning to make some changes in syllabus; everything was finalised but at the last moment, suddenly higher authorities in the ministry changed their decision and decided to make changes in syllabi next year.
Rehmatullah Khan a trader said that shopkeepers and wholesale dealers were also facing losses because of the shortage of textbooks in the market. He said it was not a big problem but wrong policy of the education ministry was the only reason for this textbook shortage.