Schools defy orders not to sell books, uniforms

Parents lament financial burden at start of academic year

LAHORE:

The Punjab education authorities have failed to stop the sale of books and uniforms by private schools.

According to parents, the beginning of the 2026 academic year in the province has again exposed the failure of regulatory authorities and disregard for court directives by private schools as many institutions are selling textbooks and uniforms directly to parents despite a ban imposed by the education department and courts.

With schools reopening across the province, parents complain that several private institutions are compelling them to purchase complete book sets and uniforms from the administrations or designated vendors.

The items are often sold at prices higher than those in the market, placing an additional financial burden on families already struggling with rising living costs.

The practice continues despite instructions repeatedly issued by the Punjab School Education Department and judicial intervention in previous years.

In 2019, the Lahore High Court had ordered private schools to stop the commercial sale of books and uniforms on their premises after complaints from parents about exploitation. Following the court's directives, the school education department had issued notifications to private schools across Punjab, instructing them to refrain from selling educational material or uniforms to students.

Authorities had clearly stated that schools could recommend books or uniform designs but not force the parents to purchase them from specific shops or from the schools. The objective was to allow parents to buy items from the markets at competitive prices.

However, the policy remains largely ignored in practice.

Parents from several cities, including Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan and Rawalpindi, claimed that many schools were continuing to operate unofficial sales systems. Some institutions allegedly provide book packages that can only be obtained through school counters or specific vendors. The parents say they are told that buying the official package is mandatory to ensure that their children receive the correct course material.

"I purchased books from my son's primary school but when we checked in the markets, they were available at lower prices," a father said.

In some cases, book packages that cost around Rs5,000 in the markets are being sold for nearly Rs20,000 by school administrations or their designated suppliers. Parents say the same pattern is experienced in the sale of uniforms.