Key Takeaways
- Punjab faces potential textbook shortage for the next academic year.
- Tenders for primary school textbooks have not been issued on time.
- Publishers and education officials are concerned about the delay.
Punjab is at risk of a textbook shortage for the upcoming academic year due to delays in issuing printing tenders for primary school books, according to reports.
The Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board (PECTAA) has issued tenders for textbooks for grades 6 to 10, but those for grades 1 to 5 are still pending.
Approximately 30 new textbooks for nursery to grade 5 are scheduled for publication next year, with an overall target of printing around 300 million books.
Reports indicate that printing tenders were issued in September last year, but as October reaches its halfway point, the primary school textbooks tenders remain unissued.
The delay has raised concerns among publishers, particularly as the new academic year in private schools begins on January 1.
Publishers have called for the immediate issuance of the remaining tenders to avoid a potential shortage, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.
Meanwhile, the Education Department has assured that tenders for grades 1 to 5 will be issued soon and that all textbooks will be available before the start of the new academic year.
The assurance comes as the Education Department aims to mitigate the impact of the delay on students and ensure a smooth start to the new academic year.
