Punjab Free Textbooks Printing Falls 60% in Five Years
Punjab free textbooks printing has fallen sharply, even though officials say student enrolment in the province has grown by 2.5 million.
More than 60 million textbooks were printed during the 2022-23 academic year. Only 24.1 million copies are planned for the 2027-28 session, according to reports cited by ProPakistani on 4 November 2026. That is a decline of around 60 per cent over five years.
The contrast sits at the heart of the story. Enrolment in Punjab government schools has reportedly crossed 10.5 million, and Provincial Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat has claimed an increase of 2.5 million students. Fewer new books are now planned for a larger school population.
How the planned printing breaks down
Under the new printing plan, around 14.8 million textbooks will be produced for primary classes. A further 4.3 million are planned for grades six to eight, and 3.2 million for grades nine and ten.
Those three figures add up to 22.3 million. That leaves 1.8 million of the planned 24.1 million total outside the breakdown given in the report. The report does not say which classes or subjects that balance covers, and parents and schools will need the full class-wise list before they can judge whether every grade is covered.
The primary share is the largest, since primary classes hold the most pupils.
Why officials say fewer books are needed
Officials from the Programme Monitoring and Implementation Unit say the reduced printing requirement is being managed through the book bank system. Under that system, schools collect textbooks from previous students and reuse them for the next class.
They also say the outsourcing of several government schools has reduced demand for newly printed textbooks. Schools handed over to private operators no longer draw on the same free-book supply in the same way, so the province prints fewer copies.
Both explanations raise a practical test for the next session. A book bank only works if returned books are in usable condition, reach the right school on time, and match the edition in use.
The supply problems behind the figures
The decline comes amid existing textbook supply problems in Punjab. In September, newly enrolled students reportedly faced delays in receiving free books after the summer holidays. For a child starting school, a missing book in the first weeks is not a small problem. It sets back reading, homework and classwork from the start.
A separate report in October highlighted a shortage of approximately 839,000 textbooks. Authorities then issued additional printing allocations to address the gap. That episode shows the system can still fall short, even before the much smaller 2027-28 print run begins.
Read together, the three facts tell a clear story. Printing has fallen by about three fifths in five years. Enrolment claims point in the opposite direction. And the province has already had to order extra printing this year to cover a shortage of more than 800,000 books.
What the Punjab free textbooks cut means for families
For families who rely on government schools, free textbooks are not a minor benefit. They remove one cost from the start of the school year, and they decide whether a child can study at home as well as in class. Any gap in supply falls hardest on households that cannot buy the books privately.
The province also has a separate change under way that affects the same books. Feature Pakistan reported on 4 November 2026 that Punjab is revising its primary curriculum, with textbooks 25 per cent lighter and QR code video lessons built into the books, in a plan covered in Punjab primary curriculum to lighten schoolbags. Printing for those revised books is due to start in January, ahead of the April session.
That curriculum change covers early childhood education to Grade V only, while the printing cut covers all school grades. The two changes should not be confused, but they point in the same direction: fewer pages, lighter books, and a smaller print run. The question for the 2027-28 session is whether the book bank, the outsourced schools and the new curriculum together leave every classroom with enough usable books.
For Punjab, the next test is simple and public. When the 2027-28 session starts, pupils should have a book in hand on day one. If they do, the smaller print run will have worked. If they do not, the gap between the enrolment claim and the printing plan will be hard to explain.
Related education coverage includes Feature Pakistan’s report on Punjab’s revised primary curriculum, the panel formed to probe law college results at the University of Karachi, the CSS MPT 2027 result announced by the FPSC, and Bajaur schoolchildren still waiting for their textbooks.
Frequently asked questions
How many free textbooks will Punjab print for 2027-28?
Punjab plans 24.1 million copies for the 2027-28 session, down from more than 60 million in 2022-23, a decline of around 60 per cent.
How does the printing plan break down by grade?
Around 14.8 million books are planned for primary classes, 4.3 million for grades six to eight, and 3.2 million for grades nine and ten. Those figures total 22.3 million, leaving 1.8 million of the planned total outside the breakdown given in the report.
Why are fewer textbooks being printed if enrolment has grown?
Officials from the Programme Monitoring and Implementation Unit say the book bank system, which reuses textbooks collected from previous students, has reduced the need for new printing. They also say outsourcing of several government schools has lowered demand for newly printed books.
Has Punjab faced textbook shortages before this plan?
Yes. Newly enrolled students reportedly faced delays in receiving free books in September after the summer holidays. A separate report in October highlighted a shortage of approximately 839,000 textbooks, which led authorities to issue additional printing allocations.
Who claimed enrolment rose by 2.5 million students?
Provincial Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat has claimed an increase of 2.5 million students, while enrolment in Punjab government schools has reportedly crossed 10.5 million.
