Shafqat Mahmood Takes Notice Of Private Schools' Monopoly In Buying Students Syllabus

Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood Friday took a serious note of reports that certain private school systems were forcing students to buy entire package of text and notebooks at exorbitant prices from designated shops

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Aug, 2019 ) :Minister for education Shafqat Mahmood Friday took a serious note of reports that certain private school systems were forcing students to buy entire package of text and notebooks at exorbitant prices from designated shops.

He said this practice was not acceptable as most parents could not afford to buy costly books and stationery items for their children.

"What is especially difficult for parents is that they are being forced to buy textbooks which can easily be passed on from older brothers and sisters to their younger ones once they move on to a senior class," he said in a press release.

This practice, Shafqat Mahmood said, must be stopped forthwith. "Parents must be given the option to buy only those books that are required.

" The Federal Ministry of Education expects that the private school systems would make public announcements in the next few days to the effect that no one was being forced to buy entire package of textbooks, if not needed. If this is being done by booksellers without authorization from the schools, this too must be stopped.

The minister also requested the provincial governments to take notice of this practice and ensure that it was rectified.

He also directed the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority, a federal body, to ensure that no forced selling of textbooks should take place in the capital territory either by private schools or booksellers.