Islamabad - The Capital Administration & Development Division (CA&DD) has directed the National Book Foundation to ensure the provision of all books demanded by the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) by April 30.
The new academic session started this month but the all the students have not been delivered textbooks so far. The FDE is supposed to provide students of up to class 10 free textbooks but almost every year the books are delivered after months due to procedural delays.
Minister of State for CA&DD Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry taking notice of the non-provision of textbooks called a meeting with officials of FDE and NBF at the ministry to address this issue on urgent basis.
The minister expressed his serious concerns over the short supply of textbooks to the students and directed MD of NBF to ensure the provision of the books to each and every student of the government schools of federal areas on urgent basis. It was also decided in the meeting that the process will be monitored on daily basis and reports would be submitted to the minister. A review meeting to analyse the progress will be held in the next week.
Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry further directed the DG FDE that from the next year, advanced payment must be ensured to National Book Foundation at the time of MOU signing so that books can be timely provided to the students on the day of the announcement of results before the commencement of new academic session.
Director General FDE Dr Shehnaz Riaz briefed the minister that almost 60% books had already been delivered to FDE by NBF and these books were being distributed among the student through relevant school heads. “These books are distributed through nine distribution centres, five in urban and four in rural areas of the federal capital,” the DG FDE continued. She further briefed the minister that this year situation was better than the previous years when process for distribution of books used to be completed by June/July.
MD National Book Foundation Dr Inamul Haq Javeid briefed the minister that NBF has to get books published through private publishers, which causes delays. He further said that delay in the selection of books at the part of Federal Board of Intermediate & Secondary Education is also a major cause for the late provisions of the books to the students.