ISLAMABAD, May 13: Due to non-delivery of textbooks to majority of schools, especially in the rural area of Islamabad, academic activities have not yet been started properly and the institutions are worried about holding of the exams before summer vacations.

On the other hand, the National Book Foundation (NBF), which provides the textbooks to the institutions, is demanding Rs80 million for the delivery of the books saying private publishers were not releasing the books before payment, Dawn has learnt.

According to sources, though provision of free books to students was a good step but it had put negative effects on the education system and created troubles for the students and their parents. The NBF, the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) and the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) have failed to ensure availability of the textbooks to majority of students in state-run schools and those under the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority. Overall, 270,000 students are studying in these institutions.

According to the FDE, there are 423 educational institutes in the rural and urban areas of the federal capital and the directorate is providing textbooks to the students through the NBF.

A teacher of a school in the rural area, requesting not to be quoted, said every year they faced the same problem. However, this year, the situation is even worse. He added: “The students of 7th class have received English, Islamiyat and drawing books while other books are yet to be delivered to them. Similarly, students of 8th class have been given books of mathematics and English while physics, computer science and Islamiyat compulsory books have been supplied to the 9th class students.

“As far as students of 10th class are concerned, they have got books of physics and biology only and are waiting for chemistry, social studies, Urdu, computer science and English books. Students of Matric (humanities group) have only received Islamic studies (elective), civics and general science,” he said. Only students of 6th class have received all the books, he added.

Another teacher said there would be eight holidays in the current month. “How teachers can complete the course of first term during the remaining days?” Ultimately, most of the students will fail in their major subjects and the teachers will be blamed for it, he added.

The father of a student Shahid Nazir said if NBF could not provide the books on time why the government had been announcing that students were getting books free of cost. “In the past, when we used to buy books from the markets, at least the students did not have to worry. It seems that some elements are deliberately trying to destroy our education system,” he said.

An official of the NBF, requesting anonymity, said for the last about three months their managing director Mazharul Islam had been trying to renew his contract of employment, which expired on April 29, and succeeded to get the extension from the prime minister office on Tuesday. Now he should at least focus on resolving the issue of the students by ensuring the delivery of books.

When contacted, Joint Secretary CADD Rafique Tahir said: “We have been concentrating on the core subjects (English, science and mathematics) and most of the books have been delivered to the students. In Punjab, so far only 50 per cent books have been supplied but in the federal capital we have delivered 95 per cent of the books.”

Secretary NBF Aftab Soomro while talking to Dawn said they had provided 55 out of the 56 books being printed by the foundation.  The remaining books have to be arranged through different government, semi-government and private publishers but they are not handing over the books without payment. Besides, there are nine delivery centres of the FDE but they have not handed over the books to the students on time, he alleged.

“Total bill of the books is almost Rs80 million which has to be paid by FDE through AGPR but no one is willing to pay it. We had frozen the allowances of our employees and paid Rs20 million to some publishers,” he claimed.