May 9, 2003	Friday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 6, 1424

KARACHI, May 8: Many a primary student of government schools in the city still awaits the promised textbooks, the new academic session having alerady commenced on April 1.

Sources in the city government’s education department say the textbooks received by the EDO office on April 8 for free distribution among primary school students are yet to be distributed in many schools of Landhi, Baldia, North Karachi, Liaquatabad and other towns.

The problem can be attributed to inadequcy in supply of books to educational officers concerned in some towns. In certain cases the distribution has been delayed for “cermonious” reasons, as UC nazims, entrusted with the responsibility to supervise the distribution, can’t find time for disrtibution ceremonies.

Under the Sindh government’s policy to provide textbooks to every primary school student in the province without charging any amount, the Sindh Textbook Board has provided 376,532 sets of books for class I to class V. These include 301,228 sets for Urdu medium and 75,304 sets for Sindhi medium schools, against a payment of Rs31 million.

Initially, the EDO planned to finish the distribution work latest by the end of April. Surprisingly, however, some education officers are running short of books and have placed their demands before the official concerned, say the sources.

About 5000 students of over 80 local bodies’ schools, formerly known as KMC schools, in Landhi, cannot get their books as the DOE concerned doesn’t have them.

Nearly a week ago, the local bodies schools’ officer informed the EDO office that in view of the present enrolment in LB schools he needed about 10,000 sets more of the books that should be provided at the earliest.

When contacted, DOE LB schools, Shamim Ahmad Khan, said that his staff was told on Thursday by some education official in the city government that the request for the books was under consideration, and the staff concerened should visit again on Friday for the release of the books.