Minister takes notice of schools forcing students to buy books at exorbitant rates

ISLAMABAD: Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood on Friday took serious notice of reports that certain private school systems are forcing their students to buy the entire package of textbooks and notebooks at exorbitant prices from designated booksellers.

“This is not acceptable particularly on top of a fee structure that most parents are barely able to afford,” he said.

This practice, the minister said, must be stopped forthwith. He added parents must be given the option to buy only those books that are required and no more.

He asked the private school systems to make public announcements in the next few days to the effect that no one is being forced to buy the entire package of textbooks, if not needed.

If this is being done by booksellers without authorisation from the schools, this too must be stopped, he added.

Mr. Mahmood requested the provincial governments to take notice of this practice.

He also directed the federal regulator, PIERA to ensure that no forced selling of textbooks takes place in the federal territory either by private schools or booksellers.