KARACHI, April 7: The Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (Sparc) has expressed grave concern over reports that textbooks to be provided free to the students of government schools are being sold by the administration.

“The education department has failed to provide course books to students of government schools,” said Akhtar Hussain Baloch, Regional Manager Sparc Karachi.

Reacting to reports, that Sobho Dero (District Khairpur) Police had recovered 5,600 textbooks from a lumber-shop which were provided to the local education authorities, Mr Baloch said the books were sold by the education department for Rs7 per kilogram and three officials of the education department involved in the act were suspended by the education department secretary.

He said Article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child guarantee free basic education to every child.

“The government has been claiming it is increasing the literacy rate to accelerate socio-economic development of the country. Nevertheless, the quality of school education in the province is far from satisfactory,” he said.—Staff Reporter