School education: Textbook board stopped from publishing school reading material

PTB head failed to submit required records in the court

LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Ijazul Ahsan on Tuesday stopped the Punjab Textbook Board (PTB) for an indefinite period from publishing textbooks for grades 1 to 10. 

He was hearing a petition seeking action against the PTB for publishing an incorrect map of the country in an eighth grade geography textbook.

The CJ observed that it was clear that the PTB had been irresponsible in managing its affairs. He said the board had misled scores of students by printing incorrect maps in a school textbook. He said printing of inaccurate reading material could not be tolerated.

Earlier, PTB Managing Director Nawazish Ali failed to submit in the court manuscripts of 41 textbooks used province-wide for teaching students in grade 1 to 10 as well as details of agreements signed with publishers of these textbooks.

Advocate Saad Rasool, counsel for the petitioner, had submitted that the PTB had sent these 41 textbooks for publishing without seeking approval from the review committee. This violation of rules had led to the printing of an incorrect map of the country, he added.

The counsel said that the map printed in the eighth grade geography textbook showed Seraikastan and Hazara as Pakistani provinces. He said this was in violation of the Constitution.

The court has adjourned proceedings in the matter for an indefinite period.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 25^th, 2015.