Free Textbooks in Punjab 2026: Printing Cut by 60 Percent Despite More Students

Punjab is planning a cut in the printing of free textbooks in Punjab for government schools, even though officials report that student enrolment has increased. More than 60 million textbooks were printed in 2022-23, but the planned number for 2027-28 has fallen to just 24.1 million copies. That is a cut of around 60 percent, and it raises a question: how will the province meet the needs of millions of students with far fewer new books?

How Much Is Textbook Printing Falling?

• Scale of the cut: Printing has dropped sharply since 2022-23, when more than 60 million textbooks were printed.
• 2027-28 plan: For the 2027-28 session, the government plans to produce only 24.1 million copies.

• 2026-27 total: PECTA published 30.163 million textbooks in 2026-27, including revised Matric syllabi for Grades 9 and 10.
• Free distribution: Around 23.97 million of those books went free to enrolled students in phase one.
• Class-wise plan: Around 14.8 million are planned for primary classes, 4.3 million for Grades 6 to 8, and 3.2 million for Grades 9 and 10.

Why Is Punjab Printing Fewer Free Textbooks?

• Official explanation: Officials from the Programme Monitoring and Implementation Unit (PMIU) say the reduction is being managed through the book bank system and the outsourcing of several government schools.

• Book bank system: Schools collect textbooks from students at the end of the year and reuse suitable copies for the next group.
• Outsourcing of schools: Under the Public Schools Reorganisation Program, selected schools are managed by private partners, civil society groups and young licensees.
• Free education continues: School buildings remain public assets and education stays free, while the government pays operators against verified enrolment.

How the Book Bank System Works

• Reuse, not reprint: The book bank system lets schools reuse textbooks instead of printing a completely new set every year.
• How books move: A student who finishes a class returns reusable books, which are then issued to students entering that class next session.

• Collection and checking: Schools collect usable textbooks at year end, and teachers check their condition before reuse.
• Issue first: Old book bank copies go out before new books, and newly printed books fill the remaining gap.
• Phase-wise cover: In 2026-27, phase one gave full provision for Nursery to Grade 3 and Grade 10, 80 percent for Grades 4 and 5, and 50 percent for Grades 6 to 9.

Enrolment Crosses 10.5 Million Students

• Enrolment total: Enrolment in Punjab government schools is reported to have crossed 10.5 million students.
• Minister’s claim: Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat has claimed that enrolment has increased by 2.5 million students.

• Verified enrolment claim: In July 2026, officials told the Chief Minister that 4.3 million students had enrolled in public schools over two years and four months.
• Ghost students found: In July 2025, the Education Department reported finding 1.8 million fake or ghost students after checking records with NADRA data.
• Inflated records: The minister then said schools actually enrolled around nine million students, but records showed 10.8 million.

Past Shortages and Why Parents Are Worried

• Why it worries parents: Punjab has already faced textbook distribution problems, which is why the lower printing plan has drawn attention.
• Recent problems: In September 2026, newly enrolled students faced delays after the summer holidays; in October 2026, a shortage of about 839,000 textbooks was reported.

• Official response: Authorities issued extra printing allocations to help address the gap reported in October 2026.
• Distribution chain: Books must travel from the central warehouse to district and tehsil offices, then to individual schools, before reaching students.
• Risk for 2027-28: Fewer new books means less room for error if reuse falls short, so shortages must be spotted early.

What Students and Parents Should Do Now

• No automatic shortage: The reduced printing plan does not automatically mean every student will face a shortage.
• What decides it: Officials say the book bank system will help manage demand, but the result depends on how well books are collected, checked, stored and distributed across 52,000-plus public schools.

• For parents: Ask the school whether textbooks for the new session have arrived.
• For students: Return usable textbooks at the end of the year so other students can use them.
• For teachers: Check returned books, keep accurate records, and report shortages early.
• For schools: Follow official distribution instructions, use attendance registers, and report gaps early so extra copies can be arranged.

Conclusion

Punjab plans to print only 24.1 million free textbooks for 2027-28, down from more than 60 million in 2022-23, while reported enrolment has crossed 10.5 million. Officials say the book bank system and school outsourcing explain the fall, and the plan works only if returned books are collected, checked and distributed properly. Parents should stay in touch with the school, students should return usable books, and schools should report shortages early.

FAQs

How many free textbooks will Punjab print for 2027-28? Punjab plans to print 24.1 million textbooks for 2027-28, against more than 60 million in 2022-23.

Why is Punjab printing fewer textbooks? Officials say the book bank system, which reuses collected textbooks, and the outsourcing of some schools have cut demand for new books.

How many textbooks will primary classes receive? Around 14.8 million are planned for primary classes, with 4.3 million for Grades 6 to 8 and 3.2 million for Grades 9 and 10.

What should parents do if their child does not get a textbook? Ask the school head teacher whether the books have arrived, and contact the District Education Authority if the shortage continues.