Free textbooks reuse programme unveiled

PESHAWAR:

The Elementary and Secondary Education Department has issued a notification, announcing the provision of free textbooks from nursery to class 12 for the academic year 2024-25. According to the notification, 100% free textbooks will be provided for classes nursery to three, 80% for classes four to five, and the remaining 20% will be managed from old textbooks. Similarly, 50% of textbooks will be published for classes six to 12, with the remaining 50% managed from old textbooks.

The department has instructed school heads to collect old books from students before final exam results are announced. Additionally, an awareness campaign on resource preservation and the importance of books will be launched, offering incentives like certificates and medals. The department also suggests exploring options for using soft copies of textbooks through personal devices like cell phones, tablets, or laptops for the academic year 2025-26, with consultation from the parents-teachers council.

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In October last year, a committee was formed to ensure the reusability of free textbooks and prevent wastage. District Level Constituent Committees (DLCC) will oversee this initiative, comprising four members each. They will be responsible for protecting books from damage, making them reusable, and redistributing them to students. This measure aims to curb the unnecessary expenditure on printing new books annually, ensuring that once-used books are reused efficiently.

Each district-level committee will be led by a Chairman, typically a District Education Officer (DEO), with members including Deputy DEOs (DDEOs), Assistant DEOs (ASDEOs), and a representative from the District Management Office (DMO).

They will coordinate with school principals and teachers for the presentation, collection, and redistribution of textbooks. Monthly meetings with stakeholders and random inspections of textbooks at schools will be conducted, with reports submitted for evaluation.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 1^st, 2024.