PESHAWAR – A severe textbook shortage in KP has disrupted the start of the new academic year, leaving thousands of students without books and forcing teachers to delay classroom lessons across public schools. The shortage has raised concerns that the provincial education department may fail to meet its goal of enrolling 1mn children this year.
Schools in Peshawar and other districts have received only half of the required textbooks. Teachers report that students in many classes still wait for their full sets, and in some schools, new sessions have not yet started. “We can’t begin proper lessons without books,” said a teacher at a government middle school. “We’re using handwritten notes, but that’s not sustainable.”
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The textbook shortage in KP has also triggered panic in the local market. Parents visiting bookstores in hopes of purchasing books privately have found empty shelves. “We’ve gone to four shops already. None of them have the books we need,” said a frustrated parent outside a Peshawar bookstore.
Teachers continue to urge parents to arrange books for their children, but the unavailability of textbooks has left families helpless. “We can’t follow the curriculum without the books, and the schools don’t even have older copies,” said another teacher.
This shortage has put the province’s enrollment campaign at risk. Without learning materials, many schools cannot admit new students or begin teaching those already enrolled. The textbook shortage in KP has turned what should have been a hopeful start into weeks of delay and uncertainty.
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The provincial government has responded. Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur chaired a cabinet meeting that approved emergency funding to address the issue. The cabinet instructed education officials to resolve the crisis within the month and begin regular classes using temporary resources.
Advisor to Chief Minister on Information Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif said the government had approved funds not just for textbook printing but also for long-term planning. “We’ve directed the department to prepare a plan for high-quality printing and reuse of textbooks,” he said.
The cabinet also approved the distribution of free schoolbags to newly enrolled students and increased the annual Parent-Teacher Council fund from 5bn to 7bn rupees [approx. 17.85mn to 25mn US dollars]. It asked officials to ensure effective use of these funds through school-level monitoring.
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Despite the government’s assurances, the shortage continues to affect daily school operations. Students sit in classrooms without books. Teachers stall lessons. And an entire province waits for learning to begin.
