Textbooks scarcity risks academic session of students in Mohmand Agency

They said the education department had failed to provide textbooks to thousands of students of middle and primary in different schools in the area despite a passage of two months.

The government had pledged to provide free textbooks to the students from class-I to matriculation in every state-run school in the tribal region to promote education and enhance the literacy rate.

Sources said the new session has been started in the first week of May instead of April due to the teachers strike but still the department had failed to provide textbooks to the students.

It will be mentioned here that all the FATA teachers’ were on strike for their up-gradation from the last two months due to which FATA students were badly affected.

“I have 110 strength in the schools but the education department provides books to only 50 students “said a primary school teacher.

He said that 4th class students were provided by only text book of Pashto and education department officials just say that books are came from Peshawar in low strength.

Muhammad Hamid a third grade student told that he is being provided a book of Pashto and no others books were provided we are upsets as we are late in reading due teachers strike.

Another teacher of a government primary school not to mention his name told that they have a total of more than 75 students as already students were detailed to his due to the schools rationalization policy in the area but they were given only five text books set which is not enough.

A parent complained that if there is no textbooks in the government run schools how we can send our children to these schools.

An officials of education department however, admitted that there might be shortage in some schools but most of the institutions had already been provided with books.

The students complain that they have not been able to study properly owing to unavailability of books and it will cost them during examinations.

Some of them fear loss of academic year and have urged the authorities concerned to immediately provide them with the books.

Meanwhile, various government schools have refused to enroll those students who have passed the primary examinations from those schools which have closedown under the rationalization program.

A primary school teacher said that if a student were not provided a certificate from the school how should we can admit.

When contacted, AEO (Agency Education Officer) Mohmand Agency Saeed Gul said he had received complaints about the shortage of textbooks and would talk to the FATA Secretariat Education department to resolve the issue on priority basis in the tribal region.