Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood has taken serious notice of reports that certain private school systems are forcing students to buy entire package of textbooks and notebooks at exorbitant prices from designated book sellers. This is not acceptable particularly on top of a fee structure that most parents are barely able to afford. What is specially difficult for parents is being forced to buy textbooks that can easily be passed on from older brothers and sisters to their younger ones once they move on to a senior class. Forcing everyone to buy new textbooks is unfair to the parents and adds to the already considerable financial burden on them. This practice, Mr Shafqat Mahmood said, must be stopped forthwith. Parents must be given the option to buy only those books that are required and no more. The Federal Ministry of Education expects the private school systems to make public announcements in the next few days to the effect that no one is being forced to buy entire package of textbooks if not needed. If this is being done by booksellers without authorization from the schools, this too must be stopped. Federal Minister for Education also requested the provincial governments to take notice of this practice and ensure that it is rectified. He also directed Federal regulator PIERA to ensure that no forced selling of textbooks takes place in federal territory either by private schools or booksellers.
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