ISLAMABAD: After a court announced its verdict in favour of the education ministry in a petition filed by authors, the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) on Monday decided to place orders for new textbooks for primary schools.

FDE Director General Hasnat Qureshi told Dawn thatwithin 10 days the new books would be provided to the students of all the primary schools.

The students of over 190 primary schools started their new academic session without textbooks as the government could not print the books on the basis of the new syllabus due to the court case.

When the new academic session started on Monday, the students were surprised to know that the supply of their books had been delayed.

“Due to the litigation between the ministry and authors, we were unable to place orders for publishing the books as we had no idea which books are going to be introduced. Today the court has given its verdict and we are going to place orders immediately,” FDE Director General Hasnat Qureshi told Dawn.

After finalising a new curriculum, the education ministry advertised to hire services of authors for writing the books.

But the authors who were already engaged with the NBF to write books for the schools challenged the education ministry’s advertisement in court and obtained a stay order.

They pleaded that hiring of new authors would deprive them of their jobs. The litigation between the authors and the ministry put the FDE in a difficult situation.

“Today, we came to know that the court has decided in favour of the education ministry so we are going to place orders for the primary school books,” the DG said.

Asked how teachers would overcome the courses, he said: “During the first week of the academic session the attendance always remains thin while in many schools we have old books (based on the previous curriculum) so the teachers will use them until the new books are printed.”

The FDE, which often delivers textbooks to thousands of students at the beginning of every new academic session, could not place orders in November.

The federal government has been providing free textbooks to the students for many years but the books never reach them on time.

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2018