MARDAN
District education officer, Zahid Muhammad said that the provincial government is trying to provide relief to the poor students. More than 1, 56000 students are studying in the government run school in the district. He expressed these views while addressing a ceremony arranged in connection with free books distribution. Mardan press club President Riaz Mayar, Education Expert Principal Hafiz Zubair Ahmed and others also addressed the ceremony. ADO Noor Rehman, APCA Mardan District Chairman Haji Ibrahim, Ikram Bacha, Senior Journalist Falak Sher, Akhunzada Syed Rehman, Education Council President Usman Singer, General Secretary Hafiz Inam Samet and other teachers also present at this occasion.
Addressing the ceremony, press club President Riaz Mayar said that the government’s initiative to distribute free books is good, but instead of providing free books, the government should adopt a policy of providing books in the open market at half price by subsidizing them so that poor students have equal access to books because most poor students study in government schools. Education expert Zubair Ahmed said that distributing free books is a very difficult step. Even if we distribute books with complete honesty, we would be destined for disgrace. He demanded that the provincial government investigate the reduction in the size of books and the substandard quality this year to ensure that the books were printed as per the tender.
He said that the provincial government and the education department should ensure the provision of books to all students before the start of the new session. Addressing the ceremony, DEO Mardan Zahid Muhammad said that the provision of books to students is the top priority. In this regard, in collaboration with the officers of the Elementary and Secondary Education Department, they have decided to provide free books to students with great care. He said that according to the government policy, 80 to 100 percent free books will be provided at the primary level, while 50 percent books will be provided to middle and high school students.
He said that we have made the students realize that free books come from our own tax money, which is our responsibility to protect. He assured that this year, the provision of free books to all students will be ensured before the start of the new session.
