KARACHI, March 28: Free distribution of Textbooks among the students of government-run primary schools in the city is likely to begin in mid April, said sources in the education department.

The new academic sessions in schools, as per the schedule of the government, is to begin from April 1 and the government has already announced to provide textbooks free of charge to every student of government primary schools in the province, without any discrimination. Till last year, the government provided books from its own exchequer to the students of primary schools located in urban slums and rural areas.

During the last session too the distribution of books was effected late, as the Sindh Textbook Board failed to hand over the books to the city government of Karachi in time. Moreover, orders for books were placed in two phases and a number needy students had not been able to receive the books from district education offices or from area councillors till the commencement of their half-yearly examinations, said a source.

It was learnt that the STB had started preparing packets comprising sets of books for students, but it was unable to wind up the job as some of the titles, particularly those meant for Class I to III, were in the final stages on the publishers’ side.

However, it was hoped that the remaining titles would be received from the publishers in a couple of days and consequently the board would be in a position to hand over the books to education officers of Karachi at the end of the first week of April, said a source in STB.

A sources in the city government’s education department said that education officers, after receiving the sets of books, could take another one week in handing over the books to students.

According to a senior official in the city government’s education department, the government has placed an order for supply of 376532 sets of books for class I to V, which include 301228 sets for Urdu medium schools and 75304 sets for Sindhi medium schools. The city government will have to pay to the STB an amount to the tune of Rs31.1mn.

Anticipating that books would be available with the government in the first week of April, the official hoped to conclude the free distribution of books by the end of April. With the approval of the city Nazim, the education department had planned to install 18 committees at the town level, involving the assistant district officer (male), the assistant education officer (female) and at least 10 Nazims of the union councils of the towns concerned, which would supervise the distribution of books at primary schools, added the official.

The STB sources said that the overall demand and supply position of textbooks was in control and it was sure that the books for students of private schools and those of classes VI to VIII of the government-run schools would be available in complete range in the first week of April.

“Since the announcement of results and finalization of admissions are still due at many of the educational institutions, there is no significant turn out of buyers in the market,” said a bookseller at Urdu Bazar.

“Parents will start thronging book-shops as soon as they get salaries for the month,” remarked another bookseller.

In the meantime, the STB has informed the parents and students that works pertaining to the supply of books to students of class I to class V were in full swing and 13 districts in the province had already been given books for free distribution. Students and parents should know that books would be available through the district governments at all the schools in April, said a communication.