KARACHI, Nov 30: Despite a lapse of four months since the commencement of the current academic session, the government has failed to provide free textbooks to students of the schools in Orangi and Site towns.

During a visit to some of the schools on Thursday, it was learnt that teachers had desperately been frequenting offices of the concerned education officials to acquire the textbooks for their students, who have been losing their precious time of learning due to the lapse. However, they are not being given informed as to when the book could be made available.

The books of Home Economics and Pakistan Studies were provided to these schools in quite an adequate number as many of the secondary schools in the towns did not receive the book.

Meanwhile, headmaster of the Government Primary School, Aligarh Colony, has pointed out that the books provided by the government contained a lot of mistakes and misprints, but the officials concerned did not get them corrected, although they would apologise for such discrepancies.

Headmistress of the Govt Girls’ Secondary School, Qatar Morr, said that Home Economics book was in short supply due to which students were facing great hardship now when the examinations were approaching fast. She said that 138 sets for class VI and VIII, and 148 sets for class VII were urgently required.

Similar is the grievance of Govt Girls’ Secondary School, Anjum Colony (Baldia Town) where the headmistress said that she had sent a list of students to the officials concerned with request for provision of books but the supply was still awaited.

The Govt Boys Primary School, (Site model), Govt Girls Primary School, St-1, Golimar and Govt Girls Primary School, St-32, Pathan Colony are also desperately looking for the supply of books for different classes.

A clerk at the office of the assistant district education officer (primary), Orangi Town, said the officials here knew about shortage of the textbooks. The ADEO, however, was not available at her office for comments.