Karachi, In a significant educational initiative, Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (Rtd) Maqbool Baqer led a ceremony distributing free textbooks to school children in Landhi. The event, organized by Education Minister Rana Hussain at the Sindh Textbook Board Warehouse in Gaddafi Town Ground, Landhi Industrial Area, marked the completion of the last part of the textbook publication by the Department of School Education. The ceremony was attended by Chairman STBB Agha Sohail, education department officers, and parents.
According to Sindh Chief Minister House, the distribution of these textbooks brings relief and a sense of progress, particularly as it addresses the delay in course completion due to the previous lack of textbooks. He emphasized the need for hard work from teachers to cover the curriculum efficiently. Justice Baqir reflected on the broader context, noting that Pakistan lags behind other developing nations in various sectors. He stressed that improvements in the education system are vital to bridging these gaps, calling for concerted efforts from educators, parents, and civil society. He quoted Mark Twain to underline the importance of reading and education, asserting that access to education is a fundamental right for children.
Education Minister Rana Hussain, also speaking at the event, discussed her efforts in ensuring the publication and distribution of the textbooks. She proposed to the Chief Minister to start the academic session in April instead of August, arguing that an April start would benefit students with additional time for homework and studies during the summer vacation. Dr. Hussain also suggested a system for retrieving textbooks from students after the session’s conclusion, noting that such a measure would ensure the efficient use of government resources and allow books to be reused by other students in subsequent sessions.
The ceremony concluded with the Chief Minister distributing the free textbooks among students and inaugurating a project to transport these textbooks to districts where they are required, signifying a step forward in addressing educational challenges in Sindh.