Owing to negligence of the government and the casual attitude of the Punjab Textbook Board, the students of the garrison city can not be provided textbooks despite a passage of five months of the new academic session.
Shortages of textbooks had spread unease among the students and parents as the situation had affected their studies for the upcoming mid-term exams. A large number of students found themselves in an embarrassing situation as they attended classes without textbooks and the only answer they got from the booksellers was ‘sorry’.
Students talking to agencies deplored the Punjab Textbook Board which hadf been given the responsibility for printing the textbooks, saying that mathematics, computer science and Urdu textbooks of sixth to ninth class were not available in the market. Moreover, science textbooks of fourth class and seventh class were also short in the market.
Parents expressed resentment over the shortage of textbooks saying that the mid-term examination was going to be held soon but the non-availability of books was beyond their comprehension.
On the other hand, test papers and short books of the textbooks were available in the market but at higher prices then the original textbooks. When contacted, Anjuman-e-Tajran Urdu Bazaar office bearer, Ilyas Butt said that they did not get books according to their demand which had resulted in shortage of books in the market. Punjab Textbook Board should print books in sufficient number so the students would not face shortage of books in the future, he suggested.
It should be mentioned here that the Punjab government had gone the extra mile for the laptop project success but failed to ensure the timely availability of textbooks for the new academic sessions.
