Balochistan Distributes Free Textbooks to All 36 Districts Ahead of 2026 Academic Year: Raheela

QUETTA: Provincial Minister for Education Raheela Hameed Khan Durrani announced that the Balochistan government has achieved a major milestone in the timely printing and distribution of textbooks for the academic year 2026, with more than 90 percent of required books already printed and delivered.

The textbooks, transported from Lahore to Quetta, are being provided free of cost to students across all 36 districts of the province.

Provincial Minister for Education made the announcement during a ceremony organized by the Balochistan Textbook Board. Senior officials, including Secondary Education Secretary Lal Jan Jaffar, Special Secretary Salam Khan Achakzai, Chairman Dr. Gulab Khan Khilji, and other education leaders, attended the event.

Raheela Durrani highlighted that textbooks have been distributed, ensuring students receive learning materials at the start of the academic session. She emphasized that the textbook board maintained full transparency in the printing tender process, resulting in significant financial savings.

Transparent procurement and improved management saved approximately Rs1.25 billion for the provincial treasury. These reforms were implemented under the vision of Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Khan Bugti and the directives of the education department.

Chairman Dr. Gulab Khan Khilji added that outdated curriculums from the 1970s have been replaced with a modern syllabus aligned with contemporary standards.

This year’s textbooks were produced at 0.65 paisa per page, the lowest cost among all provinces. By comparison, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s cost stood at 0.79 paisa per page. Demand rose to 12.8 million copies, up by 3.5 million from last year, due to the restoration of 4,000 previously closed schools and the recruitment of 10,000 new teachers.

Under the National Curriculum of Pakistan 2022–23, new textbooks have been prepared for classes from primary to intermediate levels. Subjects include Nazira and Quran translation, computer education, environmental and climate change studies, health and physical education, citizenship and ethics, introduction to artificial intelligence. All textbooks underwent a two-tier review process to ensure quality and accuracy.

The education department announced that English-medium textbooks will be prioritized next year. Higher-quality bleached card paper will replace book board paper to improve durability. Unnecessary content has been removed to reduce academic burden and ensure timely course completion.