Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The academic session of 2018 at educational institutions under the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) has been started without new books, , Daily Times has learnt reliably.

The new session was started in first week of this month. However, sources revealed that many educational institutions had not received books. According to the information available, principles of various schools and colleges had suggested parents to buy books from market. They even mentioned the names, addresses and phone numbers of private books stalls/shops on slips issued to students at respective schools and colleges.

Sources added that a petition filed in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training by several private authors had hindered the publishing of new books for class on to five. However, the IHC had earlier this month set aside the case and gave the verdict in favour of the education ministry to print the books for class one to class five.

In compliance with that verdict, the ministry directed the FDE to place orders for printing of new books with four private publishers, including Aafaq Publishers, Jinnah Publishers, University Publishers and Urooj Publishers.

A CADD official, requesting anonymity, said that o significant progress had been made in this regard. He said that the matter was sub judiced that delayed the printing of books for class one to five but the delay in printing of books for other classes was incomprehensible.

The curriculum of class on to five, which was changed last year by Ministry of Federal Education, was another factor in the delay in books printing. “The controversy over whether to start a new syllabus or go ahead with the older one was another major reason behind delay in printing of books”, said a senior official in the directorate.

Official lauded the ministry for developing the new curriculum as it was due after 2006. He, however, said the government must have prepared relevant arrangements after such developments. FDE acting Director General Hasnat Qureshi said that a sum of Rs 180 million was allocated for printing of new books. “We placed the orders for printing of new books soon after directives received from federal education ministry,” he said, adding: “The publishers had assured us for provision of new books for class on to five till April 20.”

He admitted delay in printing of books but claimed that the issue would be resolved within few days.

The FDE is an allied entity of the Ministry of Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) and is overseeing 423 educational institutions, including 191 primary schools, across the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

Published in Daily Times, April 22^nd 2018.