Distribution of textbooks begins in Sindh’s public schools

On the instructions of the Sindh minister for education, Syed Sardar Ali Shah, over 5 million textbooks sets have been prepared for public schools.

Officials said on Saturday that on the directions of the minister for education, the Sindh Textbook Board has started the distribution of textbooks for the academic year 2025-26.

In a statement, the minister said the distribution of textbooks has been initiated alongside the beginning of the academic year. Over 5 million sets of textbooks will be prepared according to enrolment ratios, which will help ensure the timely delivery of books and contribute to an effective academic process.

To mark the beginning of the distribution phase, a ceremony was held on Saturday at the Sindh Textbook Board in Jamshoro.

The event was attended by Chairman STBB Parvez Ahmed Baloch, Secretary Dr Nusrat Parvez Sehto, and other educational administrative officers. At the launch of the first phase, the chairman handed over textbooks to the taluka-level education officers in Jamshoro.

In this initial phase, textbooks have been provided to public schools in three talukas of Jamshoro District: Manjhand, Thano Bula Khan, and Sehwan.

Initially, books will be delivered to primary public schools, while distribution to secondary schools will begin next week.

To make the process more effective, the Sindh Textbook Board has formed several monitoring committees. These committees will visit schools to ensure the books have been delivered and are available for students.

At the end of the last academic year, book banks were established in public schools on the instructions of Minister Sardar Ali Shah. In his statement, the minister said that these newly established book banks will help ensure timely availability of textbooks in schools.

He further explained that textbooks will be distributed to schools based on student enrollment and the availability of books in the book banks. “We will continue to improve this process,” he said, adding that “as the merit-based recruitment of teachers has improved the performance of public schools, leading to a rise in enrolment.”

He added that beyond relying on the available resources for printing and distribution, further steps will be taken to ensure the continued availability of textbooks through book banks, maximizing the utility of limited resources.

The minister emphasised, “We will further promote the concept of book banks. Every year, we will aim for a 50% return rate of books, which will help minimize future resource use in the face of rising inflation.”