Bookstores have taken advantage of the situation by photocopying books and selling them to students. Schools have had to recommend the stores to parents in order to continue for the classes to continue.
The move, however, has been disapproved by the Ministry of Education, which has said that students should not incur extra costs by purchasing educational material from outside the school.
According to a ministry official, the regulations are clear that these books should not be sold, but rather distributed by the ministry to the students free of charge. Such rules are clearly written on the books, he added, noting that the ministry has received numerous complaints from parents and has been investigating the issue in coordination with departments of education.
The ministry confirmed the arrival of the books from the printers and asserted that their distribution will be completed before the end of this week.
The official claimed that the bookstores selling photocopies of the books are violating the law and will face investigations from the Ministries of Information and Commerce, as the right to reproduce educational material is reserved only with the Ministry of Education.
Parents, however, are being pressured by schools to purchase the copied books immediately, threatening a range of consequences including preventing students from attending classes without them, a move which leaves them with no choice.
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