TEXTBOOKS OF HATE OR PEACE?
A Comparative Review of Selected Public Sector Text Books
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the New Millennium
by
Tahira Abdullah
for
Peace Education And Development (PEAD) Foundation
2015
Contents
Acronyms3
Acknowledgements6
Foreword7
1. Introduction9
2. Methodology and Objectives14
3. Findings18
4. Situation Analysis of Findings71
5. Recommendations86
6. Conclusion102
Bibliography105
List of Text Books Reviewed119
Acronyms
AA
Alif Ailaan
ANP
Awami National Party
AEPAM
aka
APS
ASER
BKT
BKUC
CB
CDA
CEDAW
CII
CRC
CRSS
CW
DoE
DCTE
ECCE
ECD
ECE
EFA
ESP
FATA
FIR
FY
GDP
GoKP
GoP
GoPb
GoS
HRC
HRCP
IBT
ICT
IDP
Academy for Education Planning and Management
also known as
Army Public School (Peshawar)
Annual Status of Education Report (of ITA and SAFED)
Baacha Khan Trust
Bacha Khan University Charsadda, KP
Curriculum Bureau
Capital Development Authority
Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
Council of Islamic Ideology
Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN)
Centre for Research and Security Studies
Curriculum Wing
Department of Education
Directorate of Curriculum & Teacher Education
Early Childhood Care & Education
Early Childhood Development
Early Childhood Education
Education for All (UNESCO goals: Jomtien 1990 & Dakar 2000)
Education Sector Plan (GoKP 2012)
Federally Administered Tribal Areas
First Information Report
Fiscal Year
Gross Domestic Product
Government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
Government of Pakistan
Government of Punjab
Government of Sindh
UN Human Rights Council
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
Idara Baraye Taleem-o-Taraqi (Instit. for Education & Development, Swat)
Islamabad Capital Territory (federal capital)
Internally Displaced Person
3
ILO
International Labour Organization (UN)
ISIS
Islamic State in Iraq & Syria (aka IS, ISIL & Daaish)
IMD
ITA
ISPR
ITMP
Instructional Material Development
Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi
Inter-Services Public Relations
Ittehad-e-Tanzeemat-e-Madaaris Pakistan
JI Jamaat-e-Islami
JI(P)
JUI/F
KK
KP
KPCCWD
KPCHR
KPCM
KPCSW
KPTBB
LG
MoE
MoI
MDGs
MMA
MNA
MPA
MQM
NAP
NCCWD
NCHR
NCJP
NCM
NCSW
NEC
NEP
NFC
NOC
NP
NPA
Jinnah Institute (Pakistan)
Jamiat-Ulema-e-Islam (Fazlur Rahman)
Khwendo Kor (Sisters’ Home)
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (since 2010, new name of NWFP)
KP Commission on Child Welfare & Development
KP Commission on Human Rights
KP Commission on Minorities
KP Commission on the Status of Women
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Text Book Board
Local Government
Ministry of Education
Ministry of Interior
Millennium Development Goals (2000-2015)
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal
Member, National Assembly (federal Parliament)
Member, Provincial Assembly
Muttahida Qaumi Movement
National Action Plan (to counter terrorism post-APS/Dec.2014)
National Commission on Child Welfare & Development
National Commission on Human Rights
National Commission for Justice and Peace
National Commission on Minorities
National Commission on the Status of Women
National Economic Council
National Education Policy (2009)
National Finance Commission
No Objection Certificate
National Party
National Plan of Action for Children (2001-2015)
4
NRB
National Reconstruction Bureau
Pb
Punjab
NWFP
NWFPTBB
PCCWD
PCHR
PCM
PCSW
PEAD
PITE
PML/N
PPP
PTA
PTI
PWD
RCCTB
SAFED
SC
SMC
SPARC
TBB
TTP
UC
UN
UNESCO
UNHRC
UNICEF
UPE
UPR
VC
WPC
North-West Frontier Province (former name of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa)
NWFP Text Book Board
Provincial Commission on Child Welfare & Development
Provincial Commission on Human Rights
Provincial Commission on Minorities
Provincial Commission on the Status of Women
Peace Education And Development Foundation
Provincial Institute of Teacher Education (GoKP)
Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz)
Pakistan People’s Party
Parents-Teachers Association
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf
Person living With Disability
Reforms Committee on Curricula and Text Books
South Asian Forum for Education Development
Standing Committee
School Management Committee
Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child
Text Book Board
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan
Union Council (first tier of Local Government)
United Nations
UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
UN Human Rights Council
UN Children’s Fund
Universal Primary Education
Universal Periodic Review (country report to UNHRC)
Village Council (basic tier of LG)
Women’s Parliamentary Caucus
***********************
5
Acknowledgements
As human beings, children have inalienable Human Rights, including the
girl child, the ‘minority’ child and the child living with different abilities.
The right of all children to education is universally recognized, but there is a need in
Pakistan to also focus on the quality of public sector education, and on what is being
taught or not being taught to our children in government schools. That is where the
textbooks are so important, as well as the government curriculum on which the textbooks are based, and also the national education policy, on which the public sector
curriculum is based.
This study deals primarily with the content of the textbooks – as well as the other
dimensions of education on which they are based. It is conceptualized and commissioned by the Pakistani NGO, Peace Education And Development (PEAD) Foundation
and I am honoured to be invited to participate in it. It is primarily a literature review
of the content of the textbooks of selected subjects taught in public schools in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa over the past three political dispensations in the new millennium.
My sincere thanks to the dedicated PEAD team members, especially the Peshawar
team members who tried their utmost to obtain the requested textbooks, of the given
time-spans, from the relevant sections and departments of the Government of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa. It is not through any lack of a sustained effort on PEAD’s part, that all
the required textbooks were not made available for review.
I owe thanks to Peter Jacob and the NCJP’s education research and editorial team, for
introducing me to their format for reviewing textbooks and demonstrating the obvious biases and hate-filled material in them. Peter Jacob is currently the Director, Centre for Social Justice (former head of NCJP). I have learned much from him on issues
of minority justice and equality, focusing on education. Special thanks go to the PEAD
Executive Director, Sameena Imtiaz, for reposing her trust and faith in me, and for her
advice and support at each step of this study; to the M&E Manager, Zubair Azam, for
his dedication, patience, help and unfailing courtesy, despite unforeseen delays; to
the Senior Coordinator of the Peshawar office, Shagufta Khalique; and to the PEAD
Peshawar and Islamabad teams.
It is sincerely hoped that this study will be accepted and even welcomed by the stakeholders and the intended audience, in the positive spirit in which it is presented; and
that effective actions will follow, as per the recommendations for the respective addressees.
Tahira Abdullah
Islamabad, 2015
6
Foreword
“Strange times are these, in which we live, forsooth; When young and old are taught in
Falsehood’s school: – And the man who dares to tell the truth, is called at once a lunatic
and fool.” — George Francis Train
Education in Pakistan remains in a state of emergency. Over 6.5 million children are
currently not in primarys schools and another 2.7 million are not in lower secoundary
school. Besides, those in schools suffer from systemic deficiencies such as insufficient
and poorly trained teachers, dismal infrastructure facilities (such as school buildings,
potable water, sanitation, electricity, etc.) in most of public and private schools, inadequate budgetary allocations, gender disparity and alarming drop-outs. Recent years
have seen some conscious efforts for improvement of the education sector at the provincial levels, yet much more needs to be done if the state of Pakistan is to fulfill its
commitments under Article 25A (Right to Education) of the constitution of Pakistan.
And while we bemoan depressing numbers (poor enrolment, schooling facilities,
trained teachers), another pressing issue often escapes the focus of the debate i.e.
the quality of education and the textbooks being taught at schools. Textbooks indeed
constitute the core of education because these lay the foundation for the outlook and
the mindset that impressionable minds grow with. The textbook content, to be precise, matters the most in the initial, formative years of education and determines the
intellectual path that the younger generation takes during their schooling.
In view of the criticality of curriculum and textbook, the PEAD Foundation, besides
several socio-cultural and counter-radicalization issues, has also been reviewing and
discussing the curriculum as well as text book reforms in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
province for over 6 years. This focused work has been happening in close coordination with the provincial education authorities.
This particular focus on curricula and textbooks reform stems from PEAD Foundation’s conviction that the foundation for a child’s intellectual development is laid in
the early stages and that the fundamental civic values essentially flow from the education they receive in the early years of schooling. Text books basically serve as the
primary source of information for them. What they learn from the textbooks impacts
their world view and shapes their social behavior. This is why curriculum and the
textbooks are undeniably crucial for the intellectual development of young minds. It
is, thus, imperative that the curriculum being taught in schools should be unbiased
and balanced. It should not only be a means to formally educate students but should
also turn them into good and useful human beings.
With this in mind, the PEAD Foundation carried out a textbooks’ analysis and review
of Khyber Pakthunkhwa from grade I-X of four subjects i.e. English, Urdu, Deeniyat/
Islamiat and Social Studies/ Pakistan Studies in the year 2010-2011 titled “Need for
Change”. The analysis yielded many interesting revelations, and PEAD researchers
were able to identify instances which can potentially adversely affect a child’s conscious
and subconscious mind. There were many evidences of content which could potentially
7
promote radical and violent ideals, thus narrowing the world view of children.
Four years later, PEAD Foundation endeavored to conduct another study. This time
a comparative analysis of textbooks published across three successive governments
in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The results are both encouraging as well as disappointing.
Encouraging because there have been some useful and thought-provoking changes in
the textbooks and disappointing because much has remained the same over the years
despite all the hardwork of all those academicians, scholars and the civil society intelligentia who have been pointing out the presence of hate materials in the books and
warning of their negative impact on the society.
The hopes that after the passage of the 18th amendment, provincial governments
would initiate efforts to cleanse the textbooks of the historical and cultural distortions,
contradictions and socio-politically skewed contents have largely fizzled out. Despite
the urgent need to redesign curricula and align it with modern, enlightened learning,
both the politicians and the bureaucracy have failed in fast-tracking this process.
Even today, it seems, political ideologies take precedence over teaching children
peace, tolerance, and respect for diversity. There is, however, room for hope as PEAD
Foundation believes that this study, if taken in positive stride, can serve as a guide for
the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well as other provinces to improve the
system of textbook writing and replace contents that impede quality learning and
restrict critical analysis abilities of the students.
We at PEAD hope that decision makers will receive and review this study in the spirit
of public-private collaboration for improving the quality of learning at our schools.
Pakistan’s future leaders doubtlessly deserve quality education, to be able to enjoy
and appreciate the country’s socio-cultural diversity. The youth also needs to internalize the best of values that the great Prophet Mohammad (MPBUH) taught us. They
should be able to distinguish between right and wrong as well as rationalize the discourse on various aspects of life in a Pakistan that is peaceful, inclusive and harmonious, as envisioned also by the founder of Pakistan-Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
PEAD Foundation would like to thank Tahira Abdullah for her unrelenting and dedicated work on this very valuable study besides Dr. A. H. Nayyar and Mr. Imtiaz Gul who
took the time to go through the study. PEAD also would like to thank Mr. Zubair Azam
for several reviews of the report and for providing his valuable feedback. Last but
not the least, PEAD would like to thank the project team comprising of Ms. Shagufta
Khalique and Mian Waseefullah for making all efforts to collect the textbooks and all
other related documents from all three time periods required for the report writing.
Sameena Imtiaz
Executive Director
PEAD Foundation
Islamabad, 2015
8
Introduction
It is a sad reflection that in the past Pakistan failed its children, but it is sadder yet
to have to acknowledge that Pakistan continues to do so, especially in terms of protection, health, nutrition, education, and the inculcation of universal values of peace,
ethics and civic education.
The province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is no exception to the prevailing norm across
the country.
The evidence comes before us year after year after year, through, inter alia, the following annual reports and their updated statistics:
• Annual Status of Education Reports (ASER) from Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi
(ITA) and South Asian Forum for Education Development (SAFED);
• The State of Pakistan’s Children (SoPC) from the Society for the Protection of
the Rights of the Child (SPARC);
• The State of Human Rights (SoHR) from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) [especially its respective chapters on Children and Education];
• District education rankings reports from Alif Ailaan (AA).
The Government of Pakistan (GoP) too admits to the shortcomings and gaps in meeting
its Constitutional and international obligations pertaining to education, with particular reference to Article 25-A, introduced through the 18th Constitutional Amendment
(18th CA) in 2010, which proclaims: “The State shall provide free and compulsory
education to all children of the age of five to sixteen years in such manner as may
be determined by law.”1
In 2009 the federal Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan (GoP) enunciated
a new National Education Policy. Chapter one laid out some of the “Overarching Challenges and Deficiencies: Their Causes and the Way Forward”. The following are a few
excerpts from the NEP:
“Tradition, culture and faith combine to reflect upon the education system. An education system needs to evolve with human society, and vice versa. Cultural values of
the majority of Pakistanis are derived from Islam. Since an education system reflects
and strengthens social, cultural and moral values, therefore, Pakistan’s educational
interventions need to be based on the core values of religion and faith. The Policy
recognizes the importance of Islamic values and adheres to the agreed principles in
this regard. All policy interventions shall fall within the parameters identified in the
1
p. 15, Article 25-A, The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973 (including the
18th CA of 2010)
9
Principles of Policy. These include the need for developing Pakistani children as proud
Pakistani citizens having strong faith in religion and religious teachings as well as the
cultural values and traditions of the Pakistani society.”2
At the international level, Pakistan ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the
Child (CRC) exactly a quarter of a century ago. Signature and ratification brings with
it a legal commitment to adhere to a UN Convention’s Articles, through the harmonization of national laws and policies; followed by creating or strengthening institutional mechanisms; adequate budgetary and human resources for implementation,
monitoring and evaluation; and periodic reporting back to the focal UN entity.
Pakistan still has a long way to go to fulfil its binding obligations relating to the CRC
– inter alia, in the Education sector. This is evident from the periodic country reports
the GoP has submitted to the UN’s CRC compliance monitoring entity.
Pakistan’s reports on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Education
For All (EFA) goals also leave a great deal to be desired, in terms of accuracy of data,
as well as demonstrated political commitment.
However, the UN’s own annual or periodic reports on Pakistan’s state of education,
prepared by the resident and visiting missions of the CRC-relevant UN agencies: UNESCO, UNICEF and ILO, amongst others, are instructive.
Prior to the achievement of greater provincial autonomy and devolution under the
18th CA of 2010, curriculum-setting was a federal government subject in the Education sector. The public sector revised National Curriculum (2006) was in use in all
government schools countrywide. However, the text books (TBs) were written and
published separately in each province, under their respective provincial Text Book
Board (TBB).3
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, it was formerly called the NWFP Text Book Board (NWFP
TBB), now it is called the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Text Book Board (KP TBB), both of
which are under review in this study.
Currently, curriculum development, as well as the writing, printing and distribution
of textbooks, are both provincial subjects. This relatively new phenomenon4 permits
a wide variation regarding textbooks and curricula across the provinces and regions,
in the policy, planning, programming, selection, conceptualization, writing and printing of TBs, as well as in teachers’ pedagogical training, their attitudinal development,
and also their subsequent teaching methods and tools.
There is now an ongoing national debate on the merits and demerits of a standard
2
3
4
p.3, paras 10-13, National Education Policy, Ministry of Education, Govt. of Pakistan, 2009
The ICT federal Capital uses the GoPunjab/TBB’s textbooks as it does not have its own TBB
Since 2010
10
national curriculum (such as the curriculum of 2006) and the prescribed textbooks
country-wide – in contrast to the huge diversity now found across the provinces –
pertaining to the public sector education.
In fact, just five years since the passage of the 18th CA, there now appears to be a concern arising, among the independent Pakistani and international education experts,
the federal government, and even some of the provincial education policy makers,
that the past (pre-18th CA) policy of a national standard curriculum and broad outlines of standardized textbooks might not have been such a bad idea for ensuring a
standard, uniform level and quality of public sector education, and that this would not
impinge upon provincial autonomy and the devolution of power.
Some veteran educationists are even heard remarking that “devolving the federal Curriculum Wing (CW) of the federal Ministry of Education (MoE) was almost similar to
the proverb: ‘throwing the baby out with the bathwater’.”
The reasons given are that having a federal level curriculum entity would make it
easier to carry out:
• national level education monitoring and evaluation of the education indicators;
• international level reporting on progress towards the goals set by the UN’s
EFA, the erstwhile MDGs, and the forthcoming SDGs;
• writing of standardized textbooks and the modules for teachers’ training
courses;
• a consistency in the assessment of students’ learning outcomes and achievements;
all of which could be done if there were a standard national curriculum and an equivalency of public sector textbooks across the provinces.
Subsequently, policy makers could benefit from comparative reviews and assessments, and also for national and international data collection, research and reporting
requirements.
These rising concerns are particularly appropriate in the case of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,
where the fortunes of the provincial curriculum and textbooks appear to fluctuate
with the political and religious ideology of each incoming political party elected to
lead the provincial government.
The evidence shows that, on occasion, even junior coalition partners in the KP government exercise disproportionate influence and control over changes in the curriculum, along with corresponding changes in the respective textbooks, in the public
sector. The current coalition government of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and
11
its junior partner, the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), is a case in point.
It is irrelevant as to which political party was or is in power. All children in the public
sector education system all across Pakistan (including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) are today suffering the consequences of, inter alia:
• lack of political will and commitment to adhere to the Constitution (Article
25-A), or to the binding UN CRC;
• lack of policy makers’ vision, will, courage to reform and rectify the curriculum;
• lack of effective curriculum reform beyond the 2006 version, is hampering
textbook reform and rectification towards progressive pluralism;
• lack of enlightened, progressive, human rights-based thinking among the existing pool of public sector textbook conceptualizers, writers, illustrators, reviewers;
• lack of policy and planning for internal or external review, monitoring, evaluation or assessment of public sector textbooks – both content and teaching
methods.
In the 2006 National Curriculum and its corresponding National Plan of Action (NPA)
for Children, the federal Government of Pakistan (GoP) honestly admitted that: “Children in Pakistan remain among the most vulnerable part of the population” and that:
“most indicators confirm that they face serious disadvantages in the realm of economic and social development”.5
The 2006 National Curriculum and the NPA were formulated with the objective of integrating the Education MDGs (2000-2015) and the preceding EFA goals, all of which
were meant to be achieved by the deadline of 2015. They have by and large not been
met, either in quantitative or in qualitative terms.
But the question is: were the goals of the EFA and the MDGs solely quantitative, in
terms of student numbers enrolled vs. numbers graduating; number of teachers recruited, trained and placed; amounts of budgets earmarked, allocated, disbursed and
utilized (or returned)?
The answer is “No”. There was in the EFA and the MDGs a clear focus on quality issues
too. The “what” and “how” of education is perhaps even more important than the
numbers. This is where the content of the curriculum and the textbooks comes in.
This study attempts to look somewhat more closely at the “what” issues in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s public sector education curriculum and textbooks over the past three
political dispensations, across a 13-year timespan (2002-2015), i.e. the content and
5
Chapter 1, opening lines, National Plan of Action for Children, GoP (2006)
12
substance of the material being taught to students studying in government schools
across the province.
It also reviews the current Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Education Policy, the Education Sector Plan, and its Plan of Action. It attempts to find answers to such important questions as the following:
• where is the policy implementation heading vis-à-vis the provincial education
curriculum and the corresponding textbooks in use in provincial public sector
schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa?
• why do we see more of an element of change and fluctuation in the public
sector textbooks in the KP province, relative to the other three provinces over
the past 13 years?
The review shows examples of the evidence of what is being taught, along with comments noting the more glaring points of omission and commission. The evidence is
followed by a situation analysis of the findings, in greater detail.
In conclusion, it also attempts to formulate a detailed set of doable and viable recommendations in the light of the evidence presented. For ease of reference and subsequent action, these recommendations are disaggregated by sub-sector and the intended, indicated actors.
It is hoped that the recommendations will be received in the same spirit of professional integrity, dedication and commitment with which they are offered.
***********************
13
Methodology and Objectives
This research study is a review of a selected section of the public sector Text Books
(TBs) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province of Pakistan, as part of a broader PEAD
project titled: ‘Just and Sustainable Peace’.
This study is a time-series comparative review, spanning across three provincial governments in the new millennium, i.e.
• the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) coalition in then-NWFP during 2002-07,
under Pakistan’s fourth military dictator, President Gen. Pervez Musharraf;
• the Awami National Party (ANP)-led provincial government during 2008-13,
when the ANP was also in the federal government coalition of the Pakistan
People’s Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM);
• the current Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) coalition government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI): 2013-to date.
It needs to be noted that the 18th CA was enacted in 2010, in the midst of the ANP
government’s tenure, whereby the name of the province was changed from NWFP to
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, thus necessitating a corresponding change in the names of the
TB Board along with its textbook publications.
Although there have been some previous attempts to review the different curricula
and textbooks taught in Pakistan, both at the national and provincial levels, this is
probably the first time a three-part time-series comparative research study of the
public sector government school textbooks (TBs) has been undertaken in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
This study attempts to qualitatively assess and compare the changes made in the KP
provincial textbooks by three successive elected governments, each with its own separate and distinct political manifesto, religious ideology, and socio-cultural worldview.
It must also be noted that the enactment of the 18th Constitutional Amendment (CA)
in April 2010, devolved greater power and authority in a number of sectors, including
education curriculum development, to the provinces.
Prior to the 18th CA, the provincial TBBs had the authority to write and print their own
TBs, but were obliged to remain within the parameters and framework of the National Curriculum (2006) set by the Federal Ministry of Education’s Curriculum Bureau.
PEAD has already researched and published an earlier study titled: “Need for Change!
(Curriculum Review Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)”,6 which lays the foundation upon which
the present study is being undertaken.
6
Imtiaz, Sameena, “Need for Change! (Curriculum Review Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)”, PEAD, 2012
14
The 2012 PEAD study reviewed the public sector textbooks of four subjects7, taught in
grades I-X during the school year 2010-11, i.e. during the ANP government’s tenure.
The present study expands the review across time, to cover three governments, i.e.
2002-2015.
The current PTI+JI coalition government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has completed half
of its mandated five years in office, hence this review can only partially cover its education-related legislation and policy-making record, as well as its public sector school
curriculum and TBs.
In addition to the above-cited PEAD study, a number of similar reviews have been
conducted, details of which are listed in the Bibliography. The most startling and
enduring impact has been that of the NCJP’s first of several studies: “Education vs.
Fanatic Literacy: A study on the Hate Content in the Textbooks in Punjab and Sindh
Provinces”.8
Challenges
All credit goes to the dedicated PEAD team members, who tried their utmost, and
kept on trying until the end, to:
(a) locate all the required TBs of each of the classes, in the selected subjects; and
(b) obtain permission from the current authorities at the KP TBB to collect or
borrow one copy of each.
Their repeated attempts yielded the textbooks (TBs) listed and described in detail in
the following section.
Unfortunately, it was not possible to eventually obtain all the requested TBs of the KP
TBB (including both timespans of the ANP and PTI+JI governments). Thus, there are
some unavoidable gaps in the comparative review of some subjects.
Hence, it was only possible to review, present and analyze the TBs made available.
The major differentiating sign appears to be the insertion of a peace slogan by the ANP
on the flip side of the front or back covers, which has subsequently been removed in the
PTI + JI government’s current revised TBs.
7
Textbooks of four subjects: Islamic Studies, Pakistan Studies, Urdu and English.
8
Jacob, Peter & Nabila F. Bhatti (eds.), “Education vs. Fanatic Literacy: A Study on the Hate Content in the Textbooks in Punjab and Sindh Provinces”, NCJP, Urdu version 2012 (English version 2013)
15
Overall Objectives of Review
The overall aim of the present study is advocacy and action towards curriculum and
textbook reforms, in order to promote values of respect, tolerance and cultural pluralism for a peaceful, just, egalitarian and socially cohesive society in Pakistan, with a
particular focus on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Public sector education curriculum and TBs change is envisaged through promoting
linkages between the relevant legislators, government policy makers, education experts, and civil society practitioners.
Textbook reforms are envisaged to be undertaken through the identification and
training of progressive and forward-looking textbook writers, publishers and officials
of the KP TBB, in cooperation with the Curriculum Wing (CW) of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Department of Education (KP/DoE).
Additionally, it may turn out to be an unrealistically high expectation, but an effort is
also planned to be made towards recommending curriculum and textbooks reform
in the madrassas too, with the aim of introducing a few concepts and themes which
promote the spirit of inquiry, respect for the equality of human rights of all citizens,
tolerance, peace, pluralism and social harmony in Pakistani society; as well as the
ability to acknowledge and respect differences and dissent.
Specific Objectives
1. To review the identified selected textbooks of the KP TBB, grades I-X, in order to
identify areas where change or reform is required in the public sector textbooks.
2. To look for covert implications which affect the students’ vision of others and of
the world.
3. To look for elements which teach, promote or violate basic human rights and
peaceful co-existence, especially the rights of women and religious minorities.
4. To assess the degree of political and ideological reflection of each successive government in the textbooks of that time span.
5. To assess the type and level of changes made in each government’s tenure.
6. To assess what kind of content has been added or deleted by each government.
7. To assess the hidden negative or positive aspects of politically-oriented changes
in textbooks.
8. To assess whether the textbooks include peace education or promote/glorify war.
16
9. To assess whether the textbooks promote critical thinking.
10. To identify and provide recommendations for the improvement of textbooks visà-vis the promotion of a just and sustainable peace, equality and human rights.
The present study seeks not to duplicate, but instead to build upon the considerable body
of research studies available, including previous ones by PEAD and the seminal work by
the NCJP and others.
This review seeks to analyze the most recent patterns, directions and trends emerging from the compiled research data and its findings.
Finally, it attempts to draw out some recommendations and conclusions.
It remains to be seen whether or not they ever reach the decision makers, legislators,
policy makers and implementers, whether in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, or
at the federal government level.
If these recommendations ever do reach the decision-making echelons, it is hoped
that they will be paid serious attention, with sincerity of intent and purpose – and
implementation.
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17
Findings
Overview
This section mainly comprises Tables and Matrices, which present the findings of the
comparative review of selected text books in use in selected subjects in the public
sector schools in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
An in-depth discussion and analysis of these findings is presented in the next section,
followed by a set of recommendations.
This section of the report is not intended to be a comprehensive, hundred percent
sampling of the selected subject TBs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. It is, in fact,
intended to provide a snapshot overview of the current status of TBs, vis-à-vis a comparative view of any changes that may be observed over the past decade and a half of
the new millennium.
As described in detail above, it was an extraordinarily and unexpectedly difficult task
to locate the requested textbooks of the former NWFP TBB in all the selected subjects,
of all classes under review.
Both the Findings, and the Methodology sections, show looking for the TBs for this exercise as a sad reflection on the continuing bureaucratic culture of secrecy, non-transparency, non-responsiveness and the suspicious attitude of the relevant departments
and entities towards the public in general, and NGOs/CSOs, academicians and researchers in particular.
This is in spite of the fact that, in the post-18th CA and post-2013 elections era, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly was the first provincial legislature to enact the Right to
Information (RTI) law – which was a self-proclaimed progressive one at that.
The encountered lack of cooperation might also be due to a lack of professional interest, or bureaucratic ineptness or incompetence in retaining complete sets of previous
TBs, for the record, in order to maintain an official database. This is particularly important for historical, comparative, time-series researchers and
academicians. Unless there is a complete baseline available, how can changes be researched, measured, recorded, reported and analyzed across time-spans?
It is important to note and reiterate that the present time-series review only dates
back to the 2002 TBs. It might be worthwhile for future researchers to ascertain if
the current KP TBB has records of the TBs in use in the then-NWFP TBBoard prior to
2002.
18
Accessibility
The most accessible TBs were the Urdu and English language textbooks, but still a
number of problems were faced and had to be overcome for this review, as illustrated
below.
English TBs: the TBs of only 2 out of the 3 time-spans requested were provided by
the KPTBB for Classes 1 through 9, and all 3 TBs were provided only for Class 10,
which are reviewed here, along with TBs reviewed for classes 5 and 8.
Urdu TBs: of the 20 TBs provided by the KP TBB, there were two duplicates but not
one was a complete set of the 3 time-spans per class, as requested.
The following is a detailed breakdown of the received Urdu TBs, per class:
Class 1: two; class 2: one; class 3: **; class 4: two; class 5: two; class 6: two; class 7:
two; class 8: two; class 9: two; class 10: one.
** class 3: the KP TBB provided the following Class 3 TBs:
NWFP TBB: one; NWFP TBB (“Urdu ki Nayi Kitaab”): one; KP TBB: one (privately published, and without the KP TBB’s ownership logo).
The two Urdu TBs of class 5, 2 of class 8 and only 1 TB of class 10 (as provided by the
KP TBB) are reviewed here.
The least number of TBs made available were Pakistan Studies, History, Geography
and General Knowledge.
The actual numbers of TBs (for all classes) which were made available to PEAD by the
KPTBB9 are:
Subject
Textbooks
Islamiyat (Islamic Studies):
15-3* = 12 TBs [*duplicates]
English:
24-4* = 20 TBs [*duplicates]
Pakistan Studies:
Urdu:
Social Studies:
Geography:
History:
General Knowledge:
9
4 TBs
20-2* = 18 TBs [*duplicates]
10 TBs
3 – 1* = 2 TBs [* duplicate]
3 TBs
3 TBs
Which include TBs of all three time spans under review: 2002-07; 2008-13; and 2013-to date
19
Guide to Reading the Tables
1. “Ditto” means that the TB under review exactly follows the TB reviewed previously, e.g. chapter titles, subject matter and contents, page numbers, etc.
2. The comparative review of TBs in the Tables below does the following:
i.
ii.
iii.
Informs the reader of the subject matter titles and content.
Points out the differences (or not) in the TBs produced under different
governments and political parties.
Provides comments on the contents, either through showing omissions
(e.g. teaching peace; inclusion of women and minorities), or critiquing
certain insertions, or pointing out obvious duplications/repetitions.
Despite the obvious and acknowledged gaps due to non-availability of all the requested TBs, the information presented in the comparative tables below, provides enough
of a flavour to enable an adequate situation analysis of these findings, the conclusions
to be drawn, and the recommendations made at the end of this report.
***********************
20
Tables
English
Textbook Subject: English
Class: 5
Table 1
NWFPTBB - 2002-07
KPTBB - 2013
Total # pages: 62.
Total # pages: 62.
Chapter titles:
1. Introduction
2. My Family and Friends
3. My Friend’s Family
4. Occupation
5. Directions
6. Eid-ul-Azha
7. Seasons
8. How Creatures Move? (poem)
9. My Classroom
10. Going Shopping
11. Our Flag
12. Picture Story
13. The Cupboard (poem)
14. What are they having? Meals
15. Picture Story
16. The Swing (poem)
17. Visit to a Zoo
Chapter titles:
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
18. Months of the Year and Ordinal Num- Ditto
bers
Ditto
19. I Had a Little Cherry Stone (poem)
Ditto
20. The Annual School Function
Ditto
21. A Faithful Dog
Ditto
22. My Dream Holiday
Ditto
23. Old Ned, My Horse (poem)
Ditto
24. A Cow
Ditto
25. Sports and Games
Ditto
26. The Months (poem)
21
Observations and comments:
The ANP era TB is an exact replica of the MMA era TB, including English grammatical
mistakes.
All the people involved in producing this TB are men: writers, reviewers, editor, coordinator, supervisor.
There are 5 poems. None is by a Pakistani author. Some have foreign words and
names which are not easily understood by 10-year old Pakistani children (e.g. Banbury cakes, Ned). None convey meaningful messages of peace, respect, values, etc.
Similarly, the prose chapters do not contain meaningful messages inculcating ethics
or values in the students, either through stories or essays or exercises.
Illustrations: these are probably taken from Indian textbooks or other sources, as
most of the women are depicted wearing saris and bindya, which is not common in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or elsewhere in Pakistan. Similarly, a woman class teacher with
blonde hair, wearing a frock, is not comprehensible to Pakistani Class 5 students.
Positive content: gender sensitivity is depicted in the following sentence:
“My father is a professor..... My mother is a doctor.” (p.2)
But on p.4, we find the following exercise questions, inter alia:
“Write about your mother or sister by answering the following questions: Does she
cook your food? How does she look after you? Does she help you get ready for school?”
The very next exercise is about father/brother and asks the following questions, inter
alia:
“What does he do? When does he leave home every morning? Does he take you for
outing on holiday?” (sic).
This is the usual stereotyping of gender-biased roles and images.
Chapter 6 is titled: “Eid-ul-Azha”, describing the history of the sacrifice and the rituals. There is no corresponding lesson on the festivals of Pakistani non-Muslims.
Positive content: Chapter 11 is titled: “Our Flag”. The following sentence is positive:
“The green colour stands for the Muslims. The white colour stands for the minorities.”
22
Textbook Subject: English
Class: 8
Table 2
NWFPTBB - 2002-07
KPTBB - 2015-16
Total # pages: 82.
Total # pages: 167.
Chapter themes and titles:
Chapter themes and titles:
1. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): (1) A 1. Value (sic) & Ethics: A Generous Dead
Model of Truth and Honesty; (2) A Sym- (sic) [Deed]
bol of Forgiveness; (3) Review
2. Travelling: Gulliver, in a new world
2. Friendship: poem
3. Travelling Etiquettes: poem
3. Knowing about Dr. Allama Iqbal: (1) 4. Technology: Computer
Our National Hero; (2) A great thinker and philosopher; (3) Survey: Allama 5. Role Model: Quaid-e-Azam MuhamIqbal
mad Ali Jinnah
4. A Visit to Rawalpindi: (1) A Visit to 6. Appreciating value of labour and skill
Rawalpindi; (2) A Visit to Karachi
Handicrafts in Pakistan
5. The Beautiful Valleys of Pakistan: (1) 7. Nature: Blessings of God (poem)
Chitral and Kalash Valleys; (2) The Swat
Valley; (3) The Gilgit Valley
8. Peaceful Co-existence friendship cooperative (sic) etc.: The Devoted Mate
6. A Little Girl’s Plaint: Poem
9. Health safety: Germs and Diseases
7. Looking at the World in Year 2050: A
Dream
10. Environmental Education Mass impact on Earth: Kaghan Valley
8. Enjoying a Visit to Lahore: People and
11. Traditions/Cultures: Chines (sic) New Year
Culture
12. Peace and Harmony: Our School
9. Keeping Good Health: (1) Food Gives
Energy; (2) Functions of Food; (3) Prop- 13. Early Muslim Scientists: Ibn-e-Sina
erties of Food; (4) Smoking A Silent Kill- 14. Future Ages: The World in the year 2100
er
15. Media: Importance of Media
10. Capturing the World of Computers: 16. Dignity of Work: The Carpenter
Capturing the World of Computers
17. Health and Saftey (sic): Cleanliness
11. Visiting the Ancient Cities of Pakistan: (1) Moenjo Daro; (2) Makli Hills; 18. Impact of Population: Population
Growth/Its Impact
(3) Taxila
12. Becoming a Scientist: Ibn Sina
19. Humour and Fun: The Abbot of Canterbury
20. Sportsmanship: A Smile (poem)
23
Observations and Comments:
KP TB: The front and back inner covers contain messages from the Quran and Hadees.
These may be better suited to the Islamiyat TBs meant for Muslim students only.
Islamic religious/historical content:
NWFP TB: 2 out of 12 chapters
KP TB: 3 out of 20 chapters
Christian content:
NWFP TB: 0 out of 12 chapters
KP TB: 1 out of 20 chapters
Ethnic/religious/cultural diversity content:
NWFP TB: 2 out of 12 chapters
KP TB: 3 out of 20 chapters
Positive contents:
NWFP textbook:
• Promotes inter-provincial harmony through travel;
• Promotes respect for religions and cultures other than Islam;
• Promotes values like truth, honesty, forgiveness, friendship, helpfulness, cooperation;
• Promotes healthy foods;
KP textbook:
• Promotes values like friendship, helpfulness, politeness, etiquettes, respect
for elders, honesty, sportsperson spirit;
• Promotes pride in Pakistani handicrafts;
• Promotes the importance of good health, hygiene and cleanliness;
• Promotes respect for cultural diversity (e.g. the Chinese New Year);
• Promotes the importance of science;
• Promotes an understanding of population growth and its impact on us.
Negative contents:
KP textbook:
• Poem “Travelling Etiquettes” by Zeeshan Aslam (pp.19-21) actually contains
24
the word “shit” (sic) and also repeats it in the New Vocabulary Glossary, giving
the following meaning: “shit: word of hatred, anger”. The poem also contains
words like “crazy fools”. It contains several mistakes of grammar and poetry.
This “poem” should be removed immediately from the textbook as this kind of
bad language neither helps the students to learn good English nor etiquettes
– rather, it teaches them vulgar and bad language.
• At the end of the chapter: “Population Growth Its Impact”, there is a totally
non-relevant exercise: “Use capital letters where necessary in the following
sentences: iii. We are Muslims and we must recite the holy quran” (p.148). In
fact, (a) we are not all Muslims in Pakistan; (b) as per the Quran itself, there
is no compulsion in religion, hence, no one can be forced to recite the Quran;
and most important, (c) this sentence is absolutely not related to the lesson
subject. Similarly, please see p.164, exercise B, chapter 20.
Omissions:
The KP textbook is male-centric, omitting women.
Both the NWFP and KP textbooks contain no content on peace education.
Both TBs contain very little that can be called classic English literature (other than
Gulliver’s Travels and the Abbott of Canterbury).
Both TBs omit the inclusion of high quality English literature by Pakistani authors
(both poetry and prose).
Subject: English
Class: 10
Table 3
NWFPTBB post-2004
KPTBB - 2008-13
KPTBB - 2013-15
Total pages: 93
Total pages: 176
Total pages: 171
Date: undated
Date: 2012
Date: 2014
Chapter titles:
Themes & Chapter titles:
Themes & Chapter titles:
1. Last Address of The 1. Theme: Ideal Personali- 1. Ditto
Holy Prophet (SAW)
ty/Role Model.
Chapter title: Sublime
Character
of
Hazrat
Muhammad (SAW)
25
2. Pakistan Zindabad
2. Theme: Participatory 2. Ditto
citizenship
3. Drug Abuse
3. Theme: Friendship/Val- 3. Ditto
ues
Chapter title: The Caliph
and the Gardener
Chapter title: After Twenty
Years
4. Blessings of God (poem) 4. Theme: Population Edu- 4. Ditto
cation
5. Marco Polo
6. Letters
Chapter title: Population
Explosion in Pakistan
5. Theme: Gender Equality 5. Ditto
Chapter title: Begum Rana
Liaqat Ali Khan
6. Theme: Careers/Occupations
Chapter title:
come-Tax Man
6. Ditto
The In-
7. Theme: Peaceful Co-ex7. Ditto
7. National Horse & Cattle istence
Show
Chapter title: Hazrat Umar
Farooq (RA)
8. Transport
9. A fragment (poem)
8. Theme: Health, Safety
Chapter title: Tobacco and
your Health
8. Ditto
9. Theme: Self, people,
places
9. Ditto
Chapter title: Muslims of
China
10. Hazrat Abdul Qadir 10. Theme: Environment
10. Ditto
Jillani (RA)
Chapter title: They Have
Cut Down the Pines (poem)
11. Computers
11. Theme: Nature
26
11. Ditto
12. Loveliest of Trees Chapter title: Stopping by 12. Ditto
Woods on a Snowy Eve(poem)
ning (poem)
12. Theme: Technology/
Motivation
13. Handicrafts of Paki- Chapter title: “It’s Plain
stan
Hard Work That Does It”
13. Ditto
14. Description of a Good 13. Theme: Travel
Boy (poem)
Chapter title:Kaghan Val15. In the Footsteps of ley
His Great Master (Hazrat
Umar RA)
16. Stopping by Woods on
a Snowy Evening (poem)
17. The Madina Charter
18. Road Safety
19. The Population Crisis
Comments:
1. The KP TBB’s current English TB is exactly the same as that used in the previous timespan (2008-13).
2. The NWFPTBB textbook includes Islamic religious material which is already
inserted in the Islamiyat textbooks, so it is unnecessary duplication and repetition for Muslim students and forced study of Islam for non-Muslim Pakistani
students (4 out of 19 chapters). Similarly, the next 2 English TBs of the KP
TBB out of 13 chapters include 3 on Islamic Studies and one titled: “Muslims
of China”.
3. Omission by the NWFP TBB: Gender equality, which is rectified by the KP TBB
in the following two time-spans, by including a chapter (#5) on Begum Raana
Liaqat Ali Khan. This is Positive Content in the latter two TBs.
4. Negative content in TB of NWFP TBB: all poems are by male poets, not a single poem by a woman poet.
5. Negative content (NWFPTBB): One poem is titled: “Description of a Good Boy”
by Henry Dixon (1675-1760), which can add absolutely nothing to a Pakhtun
boy student’s knowledge, other than a fear of corporal punishment in school,
and it would instil an inferiority complex in the girl students reading this
27
poem.
6. Omission by all 3 TBBs: no mention of minorities/non-Muslim Pakistani citizens or any of our minority heroes and eminent personalities.
7. Omission by all 3 TBBs: Pakistani authors and poets writing English Literature (both fiction and poetry).
8. Positive content: Both the KPTBBs have included a chapter on the Kaghan
Valley, by a renowned Pakistani travel writer, Tahir Jahangir, under “Travel”.
9. The NWFP TBB contains duplication of content from the Pakistan Studies and
Social Studies TBs in chapter 2: “Pakistan Zindabad”.
10. Positive content in NWFP TBB English TB:
a. Chapter titled: “Drug Abuse” (omitted in both TBs of KP TBB);
b. Chapter titled: “Road Safety” (omitted in both TBs of KP TBB);
c. Chapter titled: “The Population Crisis” (retained in KPTBB books);
d. Poem titled: “Loveliest of Trees”.
11. Omission: in the TB of the NWFP TBB there are no illustrations or pictures at
all. This is rectified in both KPTBB’s subsequent English TBs – Positive content.
12. Positive content in KP TBB English TBs of 2 time-spans:
a. Chapter titled: “Friendship/Values” (poem);
b. Chapter titled: “Health, Safety” or “Tobacco & your Health” - against
tobacco – it was omitted by the NWFP TBB;
c. Chapter titled: “Environment” – poem titled: “They Have Cut Down the
Pines” – it was omitted by the NWFP TBB.
d. Chapter titled: “Technology/Motivation – re. scientific experiments.
13. Positive content in all 3 TBs: Chapter titled: “Nature” – poem titled: “Stopping
by the Woods on a Snowy Evening”.
Comment: Both the NWFP and the KP TBBs have attempted to include the
concept of PEACE – both have used the Islamic paradigm: NWFP: “The Madina Charter”; and KP TBB: theme: Peaceful Co-existence: Chapter title: “Hazrat Umar Farooq (RA)”. So the question that must arise in a student’s mind is
whether there can be no peace outside the religious or Islamic framework?
Apart from being non-factual, this concept is biased and unfair to non-Muslim
Pakistanis.
28
Urdu
Subject: Urdu
Class: 5
Table 4
NWFP TBB - 2002-07
KP TBB - 2014
Total pages: 151
Total pages: 151
Positive content: slogan on inside back
cover jacket: “We Want Peace” in English, Urdu and Pukhto with peace dove
illustration.
Chapter titles:
Chapter titles:
1. “Mera Khuda” (My God - hamd)
1. Ditto
2. “The Conqueror of Makkah” (the Holy 2. Ditto
Prophet Muhammad, pbuh)
3. “How did Human Beings Learn to 3. Ditto
Write?”
4. Ditto
4. “Walking Mechanical Beings” (Robots) 5. Ditto
5. “The Story of 23rd March”
6. Ditto
6. “Tu Salamat Rahay aey Watan” (milli
naghma - patriotic poem)
7. “A Dream That Came True”
8. “Protectors of the Environment”
9. “The Cunning Fox” (story)
10. “Hazrat Usman Ghani (ra)”
11. “The Orphan Child’s Eid” (poem)
12. “Hikayaat” (Hazrat Luqman ra)
13. “The Land of Idiots” (story)
14. “Khushaal Khan Khattak”
15. “The North Pole”
16. “The Land of Workers/Artisans”
17. “The Tree in the Royal Garden” (story)
7. Ditto
8. Ditto
9. Ditto
10. Ditto
11. Ditto
12. Ditto
13. Ditto
14. Ditto
15. Ditto
16. Ditto
17. Ditto
29
18. “The Epitome of Loyalty” (Hazrat 18.
Khadija ra)
19.
19. “The Wind Blew” (poem)
20.
20. “A Trip to Shalimar Gardens”
21.
21. “A Unique Reward” (story)
22.
22. “Syed Jamaluddin Afghani ra”
23.
23. “Beloved Mother” (poem)
24.
24. “Trust” (story)
25.
25. “Imam Jaafar Sadiq ra”
26.
26. “Quaid-e-Azam’s Mausoleum”
27.
27. “The World” (poem)
28.
28. “Pakistanis Pay Tribute” (story)
29.
29. “Heehee Haha” (jokes)
30.
30. “The Veiled Woman Jihadi” (Hazrat
31.
Khaula ra)
31. “The Intelligent Princess” (story)
32. “My Wish” (religious poem)
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
32. Ditto
33. Ditto
33. Glossary of Terms (mini-dictionary) 34. Ditto
34. Proverbs
Comments:
1
2
3
The KP TBB’s current Urdu textbook is exactly the same as that used in the
NWFP TBB’s former Urdu TB course.
The only change is the KP TBB’s addition of a peace slogan on inside back
cover jacket: “We Want Peace” in English, Urdu and Pukhto with a peace
dove and flower illustration. This change was introduced by the ANP government (2008-13). We do not have the post-2013 Urdu TB to see if the
slogan is retained or removed by the incoming PTI+JI coalition government.
Duplication/replication/repetition:
a. Islamiyat/Religious Studies: 8 out of 32 chapters are Islamic (Religious) Studies – repetition of Islamiyat TBs content
30
b. Islamic History: 2 chapters are Islamic History content
c. Pakistan Studies: 3 chapters are Pakistan Studies content
d. Geography: 1 chapter is Geography content
e. Total duplication: 14 out of 32 chapters.
4
Omissions:
a. Not a single non-Muslim (minority) Pakistani is named or included.
b. Not a single Pakistani/Pakhtun woman poet’s or author’s works are included.
c. No classical literary works are included (either poetry or prose)
5
d. The concept and teaching of Peace Education is entirely missing from
both TBs, despite the fact that the KP TBB was aware of the importance of
Peace Education, especially for countering extremism and terrorism.
Positive contents:
a. Chapter 8: Environmental conservation
b. Chapter 20: A Trip to Shalimar Gardens – serves the dual purpose of
highlighting historic landmarks and heritage preservation
c. Chapter 16: The Land of Workers and Artisans – in itself is a positive
content and it also includes women crafts-workers and artisans (iilustrated).
d. Chapter 14: Khushaal Khan Khattak – this is a welcome addition, but
is again a duplication of content meant for the Pakistan Studies TBs.
e. Chapter 28: Pakistanis Pay Tribute – this is an inspiring, true story of
valour and love of one’s country.
Textbook Subject: Urdu
Class: 8
Table 5
NWFPTBB - 2002-07
KPTBB – 2013 - following GoP 2006
national curriculum
Total # pages: 144.
Total # pages: 183.
Chapter titles:
Chapter titles:
1. Hamd (poem in praise of Allah)
1. Hamd
31
2. Letter from Hazrat Salman Farsi
3. Fruit of Patience
2. Naat
3. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) Teacher
of Virtues
4. Naat (poem in praise of Prophet,
4. Hazrat Usman Ghani (ra)
pbuh)
5. Hazrat Zainab bint-e-Ali (ra)
5. Best student
7. Promise (story of Hazrat Umar ra)
7. Patriotic poem
6. Urdu language
8. Poem
9. Images of Pakistan
10. Capt. Sher Khan Shaheed
11. Scouting
12. Story of woodcutter’s donkey
13. Cold air
14. Sultan Salahuddin Ayubi (ra)
15. Poem
16. Mirza Zahir Dar Baig
17. Story of an interesting journey
18. Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz (ra)
19. A trip to London
6. Information on Pakistan
8. Girl Guides
9. Hockey, our national sport
10. Independence Day
11. poem
12. Invention of electricity
13. Importance of recreation
14. Story of magnanimity of host
15. Pakistan’s communications system
16. Scientific inventions
17. Poem (on virtues)
18. Campaign for Civil Defence
19. Colours of Pakistani culture
20. Poem (story of Hazrat Ibrahim-Is- 20. Patriotic poem
mail ra)
21. Pakistan’s benefactor: Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan
21. Population problems
22. Chitral
22. Introduction to Chemistry
24. Poem
24. Poem
23. Jokes
25. Importance of vocational education
23. Urdu language
25. Living organisms and our lives (Quranic verses)
26. Destruction of soil by salinity and
26. Story of climate
waterlogging
27. Story of a chair
27. Patriotic poem
32
28. Patriotic poem
Glossary of terms
29. Letters of eminent personalities
30. King of 7 rivers
31. Poem
32. Enemy pilot
33. Story of a king and a poor farmer
34. Golden sayings (religious quotes)
35. Story of a visit to a rural area
36. Patriotic poem
Observations and comments:
* Back cover: “Celebrating 100 years of Islamia College Peshawar (1913-2013)”,
hence it is assumed this TB was published in 2013 (not known whether under the
ANP government [up to March 2013] or the PTI/JI government [June 2013 onwards]).
NWFP TB: out of 36 chapters, 9 pertain to Islamic injunctions and personalities.
KP TB: out of 27 chapters, 6 pertain to Islamic injunctions and personalities.
Comment: These would be better suited to the Islamiyat textbooks.
There are 2 patriotic poems in the NWFP TB, and 3 in the KP TB.
Comment: These might be better suited to the Pakistan Studies TBs.
The KP TB shows photos of Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal on the cover.
Comment: These might be better suited to the Pakistan Studies TBs.
In the NWFP TB those poems and prose chapters showing authors’ names are all by
men. Pakistani women poets and writers are omitted. Pakistani non-Muslims are
also omitted. The KP TB’s authors’ credit page shows 2 women authors’ names, no
non-Muslims.
Peace education, pluralism, respect for religious diversity is omitted.
Classic Urdu literature is largely omitted in both TBs (exceptions: one essay by Baba-e-Urdu, a few verses of Ghalib, and poems by Iqbal and Haali).
33
Textbook Subject: Urdu (Compulsory, Part 2)
Class: 10
Table 6
KP TBB - 2013, following federal GoP/MoE’s 2002 national curriculum
Total # pages: 147
Divided into 2 sections: (a) Prose; (b) Poetry
Prose section chapter titles:
1. The Prophet’s (pbuh) Migration
2. Ideology of Pakistan
3. Urdu language
4. Two hours in unlawful detention
5. Overcoat
6. Then and Now
7. Story of a potato
8. Tear of shame
9. Muslim education after the war of independence
10. Literary jokes of poets
11. Homeland
12. Key of success
13. Sadiqa’s dreams
14. Sifarish
15. Irritating people
16. One side of the picture
17. Letters by:
* Ghalib
* Nazeer Ahmad
Poetry section chapter titles:
Nazms:
1. Hamd (poem in praise of Allah)
2. Naat (poem in praise of the Prophet, pbuh)
3. Siddique Akbar (ra)
4. Poem addressed to youth
5. Evening
6. A spring morning
34
7. Adulteration
8. A poor girl’s wedding – father’s parting advice
9. Khushaal Khan Khattak (Urdu translation of Pashto poem)
Ghazals:
1. Mirza Ghalib: 2
2. Khawaja Meer Dard: 1
3. Nasir Kazmi: 2
4. Firaaq Gorakhpuri: 1
Glossary of terms
Observations and comments:
Out of 30 chapters, 4 pertain to Islamic injunctions and personalities (prose and poetry).
Comment: These would be better suited to the Islamiyat textbooks.
Chapter 2: “Ideology of Pakistan” is duplication of the content in the Pakistan Studies
textbooks. Also chapter 9: “Muslim education after the war of independence”.
• All the poems are by men.
• All the authors of the prose chapters are men.
• Pakistani women poets and writers are entirely omitted.
• Pakistani non-Muslim poets and writers are also omitted.
• Peace education, pluralism, respect for religious diversity is omitted.
The poem depicting a poor girl’s wedding and her father’s parting advice
(“Jashan-e-baychaargi”) by Ahsaan Daanish is gender biased and demeaning towards
women/girls, e.g. the father informs the bridegroom: “uski bhee khushi hogi tumhari
jo raza ho, tum uskay liye doosray darjay pay khuda ho” (whatever makes you happy
will make her happy, since for her, you are the second tier of divinity). It is offensive on several socio-economic and cultural levels, and needs to be removed from the
course content.
35
Islamiyaat
Textbook Subject: Islamiyaat
Class: 3
Table 7
NWFPTBB - 2002-07
KPTBB – 2013-2014, following GoP
2006
national curriculum
Total # pages: 36
Total # pages: 120 (over 3 times bigger)
Omission: no mention of any other
Prophet of God (pbuh); or of followers of
any other religion in Pakistan; or of the
need to respect other religions and live
together in harmony and peace.
New content: (1) (i) 2 new chapters titled:
“Ravadaari” (explained as respect, tolerance, patience) and “Sabr-o-Tahammul”
(explained as patience and self-control,
self-restraint, tolerance), (pp.73-79). (ii)
one new chapter titled: “Husn-e-muaashirat” (explained as co-existence in harmony and respect, helping those in need,
pluralism, diversity, praying for one’s
enemies, making no distinction between
importance of good behaviour with Muslims and non-Muslims alike) (pp.81-82).
(iii) new chapters on maintaining good
relations with siblings, relatives, neighbours, friends (pp.83-103). (iv) new
chapter against backbiting, slander and
defamation (pp.104-107). (v) new chapters on two icons of Islamic History: Hazrat Ibrahim (a.s.) and Hazrat Abu Bakr
Siddique (r.a.) (pp.111-120).
(2) Exercises have been added after
each chapter.
Teaching difficult grammatical concepts
of Quranic Arabic language via memorization of Quranic verses without Urdu
translation.
(3) Urdu translations are given for most
Arabic words and verses included in this
TB.
“The Quran is better than all books”
(p.24).
36
Motivation to read/recite the Quran in Urdu translations of the Arabic prayers
Arabic, but no mention of the need to are included.
read it with translation for understanding or action (pp.24-25). Likewise, no
mention of the need to understand the
meaning of the prayers performed in Arabic five times a day (p.26).
Teaching the life of the Prophet (pbuh): (1) In the chapter on the Prophet of Is(i) at his birth “the whole world was
lam (pbuh), many other Prophets
steeped in ignorance; (ii) “no nation
sent by God are mentioned by name,
worshipped God…”; (iii) “everywhere
starting with Hazrat Adam (a.s.)
idols were worshipped” (p.27).
(pp.20-22), and that it is part of our
basic Islamic faith to believe in and
respect all Prophets of God (p.20).
Positive content: “Instead of being happy at the birth of a daughter, the Arabs
hated them” (p.28)
(2) Omitted biased language of 2002 TB
(see left column)
Textbook Subject: Islamiyat
Class: 4
Table 8
NWFPTBB - 2002-07
KPTBB – 2013-2014, following GoP
2006
national curriculum
Total # pages: 64
Total # pages: 118 (1.8 times bigger)
New content:
(1) included in TB objectives: to read,
translate, understand and act upon basic Islamic teachings in the Quran and
prayers.
(2) In the chapter on good manners and
good behaviour: added new section titled: “love of compatriots” (in addition
to existing section: “love of homeland”)
(pp.103-106).
37
(3) New chapters on two icons of Islamic
History: Hazrat Moosa (a.s.) and Hazrat
Umar (r.a.) (pp.107-118).
(4) New inside back cover colourful
graphic in Urdu: “come, let’s spread
peace around the world” (see p.1 after
the title cover page of this report).
Learning to recite Naazira Quran is com- Ditto.
pulsory and carries 40% marks in final
exams.
Chapter titled “Duties towards fellow Ditto chapter adds new categories: weak
human beings” (Huqooq-ul-Ibaad) lists and deprived, dependent people, elders.
parents, children, relatives, orphans,
poor people, neighbours, close friends, Ditto omission.
travellers, and subordinates.
Omission: non-Muslims, women.
Chapter titled: “Serving humanity” adds Ditto
to the above list: widows, the sick, the
hungry, people with physical and mental
health problems, senior citizens.
Positive content: “For serving humanity, Ditto (p.90).
Islam makes no distinction between a
believer and a non-believer” (p.53).
Omission: Where are Muslim women in Ditto.
Islamic history? Invisible.
Last chapter titled: “Love of homeland”: Ditto (p.104).
inter alia: “we created Pakistan in order
to … live freely according to Islamic injunctions … because it is a gift of Allah to
us…” (p.62)
Textbook Subject: Islamiyat
Class: 5
Table 9
NWFPTBB - 2002-07
KPTBB – 2013-2014, following GoP
2006
national curriculum
Total # pages: 60.
Total # pages: 60 (same cover too).
Same Table of Contents, same chapter titles,
and same page numbering per chapter.
38
3 chapters on battles: Badr, Uhud, Ahzab Same 3 battles (pp.25-36).
(pp.25-36)
Section titled: “Ikhlaq-o-Adaab” (good Ditto (pp.37-60).
characteristics and good behaviour) includes following chapters: greetings,
keeping promises, living within means,
patience, mercy, forgiveness, tolerance,
and Islamic ‘brotherhood’ (sic), (pp.3760).
Chapter on “Tolerance” includes Ditto (pp.53-54).
several positives: “recognizing the right
of non-Muslims to speak and adhere to
their beliefs”. Also: “it is intolerance to
force a non-Muslim to agree to a Muslim’s views and beliefs.” Most important:
“Islam does not permit forced conversion from other religions.” Also: “The Quran clearly enjoins that there is no compulsion in religion.” And “religion is in
the heart and it is impossible to change
hearts forcinly or by compulsion.” The
two examples from Najran and Jerusalem Christians is positive.
Two negatives: (1) there is continued
use of the Urdu term “Isaayi” (rather
than “Maseehi”) for Christians. (2) the
last line is unclear but negative: “it is
not permitted to foster deep and close
friendship with non-Muslims against Islam or Muslims.” (pp.53-54).
Chapter on “Islamic Brotherhood” (sic): Ditto (pp.55-57).
entire focus is on Muslim Ummah, to the
exclusion of all others (pp.55-57)
Last chapter titled: “Pakistan, an Islamic Ditto (pp.58-60).
State” (pp.58-60): conquerors Muhammad bin Qasim and Mahmood Ghaznavi
are lauded and their “occupation (sic) of
the Indo-Pak subcontinent” is cited with
pride (p.58). Hindus are accused of “plotting to subjugate and enslave Muslims
of the sub-continent upon gaining independence from the British”. But “Muslims considered enslavement to Hindus
worse than to the British.”
39
“The meaning of Pakistan is the Kalima Ditto (p.59).
that Muslims proclaim: ‘la illaha ill-Allah’.” And: “Pakistan is the land of Islam.”
(p.59)
The Partition of India is a one-sided ac- Ditto (p.59).
count: “Hindus killed many Muslims and
many Muslims had to migrate to Pakistan.” (p.59).
Omission: Where are Muslim women in Ditto.
Islamic history? Invisible.
Textbook Subject: Islamiyat
Class: 6
Table 10
NWFPTBB - 2002-07
KPTBB – 2013-2014, following GoP
2006
national curriculum
Total # pages: 66
Total # pages: 94
Positive: icons from Islamic history in- Positives: (i) icons from Islamic history
clude inter alia: Hazrat Khadija (r.a.) include inter alia: Hazrat Khadija (r.a.)
(p.64).
(p.78), Hazrat Ali (r.a.) (p.83), Hazrat
Data Ganj Bukhsh (r.a.) (p.87). (ii) two
other women mentioned by name: Hazrat Fatima (r.a.) and Hazrat Ayesha (r.a.).
Chapter: “Duties towards fellow human Chapter: “Duties towards fellow human
beings”, section: “Rights of Offspring/ beings”, section: “Rights of Offspring/
Children”: (p. 38-39)
Children”: positive additions: (i) cites
pre-Islamic practice of burying daughOmission: Quranic verses forbidding ters alive and how the Quran forbade
killing of daughters.
this evil (p.68); (ii) promotes equal
treatment for daughters and sons without bias or preference (p.69).
Section: Sympathy: “all Muslims are
joined together in relations of love and
‘brotherhood’ (sic) and help them in
times of need.” Omission: non-Muslims.
New chapter: after General Tariq bin Ziyaad’s conquest of Spain via Gibralter, he
is quoted thus: “All the land that is my
Creator’s land is my land” (p.92), in an
40
attempt to justify military invasion and
occupation of countries vs. peaceful coexistence.
Repeated use of “Isaayi” vs. “Maseehi”
and Christian armies being portrayed as
cowardly and lacking in belief, faith and
valour.
Positive: environmental conservation is Ditto. (p. 46)
included as part of personal hygiene and
cleanliness (p.35).
Unnecessary addition in Islamiyaat TB The KPTBB edition talks about the 2005
of content better suited to Pakistan Stud- earth quake instead of 1965 war
ies: praise for war exploits of Pakistani
armed forces in the 1965 war with In- (p. 62)
dia and citizens’ participation, for the
following reason: “our homeland was
created in the name of Islam and according to Quaid-e-Azam: ‘Pakistan is the
fortress of Islam’, therefore jihad is necessary for its protection, and this is the
religious duty of every Pakistani” (p.44).
This assumes 100% Muslim population
of Pakistan.
Omission: non-Muslim Pakistani citizens.
Textbook Subject: Islamiyat
Class: 7
Table 11
NWFP TBB 2002-07
Total # pages: 76
KPTBB 2013-14
Total # pages: 95
Foreword starts: “Being an ideological
state, it is obligatory to teach Pakistanis
Islamic Studies.”
Q: this is debatable and what about
non-Muslim Pakistanis?
Start: 4 Quranic Surahs for memorization Start: 3 Quranic Surahs for memorization
in Arabic – no Urdu translation provided. in Arabic – no Urdu translation provided.
41
Subsequent Quranic passages have Urdu Ditto.
translations.
Positive:
Section titled: “Ikhlaq-o- Negative: All three chapters are omitted.
Adaab” (good characteristics and good
behaviour) includes chapters, inter alia,
on: Respect for law; Honest (halal) earnings; Anti-extravagance.
Jihad and war: 2 chapters.
Jihad and war: 4 chapters.
Illustrious personalities from history:
Illustrious Muslims from history:
Peaceful invitation to Islam (foreign rul- Peace sermon: 1 chapter (pp.39-42).
ers): 1 chapter (pp.24-27).
Hazrat Moosa (a.s.) [Prophet Moses, Hazrat Ayesha (r.a.), Hazrat Fariduddin
pbuh] and Hazrat Zayd bin Haaris (r.a.). Ganjshakar (r.a.), General Salahuddin
Ayubi, Scholar Ibn-e-Khaldun (founder
Omission: Muslim women in history.
of Sociology).
Positive: Environmental conservation in Ditto.
Islamic teaching.
Textbook Subject: Islamiyat
Class: 8
Table 12
KPTBB – 2014-15 (Following GoP 2006 national curriculum)
Total # pages: 126
Positive: icons from Islamic history include a chapter on Hazrat Syeda Bibi
Fatima (r.a.) (pp.102-109).
The Foreword starts: “The objective of the creation of Pakistan, based on the two-nation theory, was to enforce (sic) Islamic injunctions, and to take steps for people to
mould their personal, collective and national life according to the Quran and Sunnah. … In 1947, Pakistan came into existence as the first state to be created on the
basis of Islamic Ideology.
“Being an Islamic state, and being Muslims, it is our endeavour to inculcate Islamic
values in the students. … GoKP has revised the Islamiyaat curriculum of class 8 for
this purpose, keeping in mind the needs of the modern era. … In the last chapter, the
conquests and achievements of our historic Muslim icons are included, to inculcate
in the students the values of jihad and constant struggle and effort…”
42
Q: what about the rights of non-Muslim Pakistanis? What about the Quranic injunctions to INVITE not ENFORCE Islam, even on Muslims?
Omission: chapter on the Prophet (pbuh)’s noble character (Khuluq-e-Azeem)
mentions his wives Hazrat Khadija (r.a.) and Hazrat Ayesha (r.a.), but not his interactions or sayings ref. his daughter Hazrat Bibi Fatima (r.a.) (pp.22-27).
Chapter titled “Patience and Forbearance” mentions, inter alia, “bravery and steadfastness while at war” (p.29).
Can Muslims not display patience and forbearance while NOT at war?
Same chapter says: The Prophet (pbuh) “waged jihad against the infidels for the
glorification of, and invitation to, religion” (p.30).
Comment: This is contrary to Islamic tenets and to the sanctioned history of Islam
as a religion of peace and submission.
Over-emphasis on Fear of God as the overarching meaning of Righteousness (Taqwa)
(pp.33-42.
Omission: God’s love, goodness, mercy, compassion, forgiveness, beneficence, blessings, etc – why not also teach the positive names out of the 99 names of God?
Chapter titled: “Goodness and Righteousness” (Ikhlas & Taqwa) states, inter alia:
“The Prophet (pbuh) waged jihad for the glory of religion…” (p.39).
See comment in row # 4 above.
Omission: Chapter titled: “Home (personal) life” (of the Prophet (pbuh)), repeatedly mentions Hazrat Ayesha (r.a.) and some of his other wives, but there is complete
and conspicuous omission of his beloved daughter Hazrat Bibi Fatima (r.a.) and her
family: Hazrat Ali (r.a.), Hazrat Imam Hassan (r.a.) and Hazrat Imam Hussain (r.a.) –
his two beloved grandsons. (pp.58-62), which shows sectarian bias.
The Quranic injunction to: “Invite people to goodness and piety and prevent forbidden acts” is interpreted as “ENFORCEMENT of this injunction is necessary by the
rulers” in an entire chapter devoted to this subject (pp.63-68), e.g. inter alia: “order
people to do good” (p.65); and “it is the duty of the rulers to stop wrong acts” (p.64).
Comment: This controversy has been going on since Gen. Zia-ul-Haq’s military
dictatorship (1977-88) and reached its zenith under the MMA rule (2002-07) in
then-NWFP under another military dictator, Gen. P. Musharraf.
Positive content: The chapter on “Duties towards fellow human beings” (Huqooqul-Ibaad) as usual lists orphans, widows, relatives, PWDs, travellers, neighbours,
and the poor.
New content inserted: “the rights of Muslims and non-Muslims” (p.74).
Positive content: new chapter: “Discipline and respect for law”. New concept inserted: “speaking the truth is also respect for law” (p.91).
Comment: this is highly commendable!
Recommendation: need to insert a sentence against vigilante mob actions (e.g. killing an under-trial prisoner accused of blasphemy, long before conviction; or killing
a lawyer defending such an accused person).
43
Chapter titled “Unity of Muslims” (pp.94-97) exhorts the need for unity of the “Muslim Ummah” inter alia: “all Muslims are brothers” (p.94).
Recommendation: need to:
(1) render this concept gender-neutral or gender-equal, e.g. “Muslim men and
women are brothers and sisters” or “… are one community”;
(2) insert a section on the importance of bringing into this community the
non-Muslim citizens of a Muslim-majority state too.
Concluding para enjoins unity contra linguistic, geographic, national, regional biases, with the objective of defeating Islam’s enemies (p.96).
Recommendation: need to (a) delete the objective; and (b) insert the following additional categories: sectarian, religious, gender, racial and class biases.
Chapter titled: “JIHAD” (pp. 98-101):
Chapter titled: “Muhammad bin Qasim” (pp.110-114) needs to be re-written to remove (1) glorification of war and absence of peace; (2) glorification of conquests
of Muslim generals over Hindu rulers to “spread Islam” and to “establish an Islamic
government” in the Indian subcontinent; (3) repeated mention of duties and taxes
imposed on non-Muslim subjects of conquered lands; (4) gloating over the treasures
obtained as “spoils of war” from India and sent back to the Caliph in Baghdad;
[Q: how is this different from sending the Koh-e-Noor from India to UK by the British colonial rulers of India?] – etc. etc.
Textbook Subject: Islamiyat
Classes: 9 & 10 (combined TB, as per approved 2002 curriculum of federal MoE/CW)
Table 13
NWFPTBB - 2002-07
Khyber-PakhtunkhwaTBB - 2008-13
Table of Contents – Quranic surahs and
verses for memorization; chapters on
Quran study, life of the Prophet (pbuh),
pillars of Islam, family life, social life, duties towards human beings, and a chapter titled: HIJRAT & JIHAD.
Table of Contents – ditto (same Quranic
surahs and verses for memorization;
same chapters on Quran study, life of the
Prophet (pbuh), pillars of Islam, family
life, social life, duties towards human beings, and the same chapter titled: HIJRAT
& JIHAD).
Positive content: the Prophet (i) freed Positive content: ditto (p.74).
captured slaves/PoWs who taught Muslim children to read and write; (ii) encouraged education for Muslim women/
girls, same as for men/boys; (iii) cite
both the Quran and Sunnah enjoining
the attainment of education as a duty for
all (p.74).
44
Chapter titled: “Family Life” (pp.84-87), Ditto – same page numbers.
section: “Rights and Duties of Spouses”:
“Islam enjoins upon men to provide sustenance for their wives and children. …
A man should permit his wife to retain
her Haq Meher and personal possessions, and to work within allowed limits;
… he should treat her well, do justice and
should not be cruel or violent towards
her out of fear of God” (p.85).
Chapter titled: “Migration and Jihad” Ditto – same page numbers.
(pp.88-92), section: JIHAD: “in Islam
this means upholding the truth and what
is right” (p.90).
“It is imperative to achieve this, even at
the cost of sacrificing one’s wealth, possessions, family, relatives, friends, and
the lives of all, including one’s nation”
(p.90).
“A Muslim must fight against the enemies of truth, as Jihad is considered a
very high form of worship in Islam …
and its purpose is to attain/fulfil the Will Ditto.
of God.” (p.90).
Positive content: “Jihad also means to
struggle (i) against one’s ego or baser
self (Jihad-e-Akbar); (ii) against ignorance (Jihad-bil-ilm); (iii) by using one’s
wealth (Jihad-bil-maal); and (iv) courage
to speak the truth to oppressive, cruel
rulers” (pp.90-91).
Positive content: Chapter titled: “Char- Positive content: ditto - same page numacter and Sayings of the Prophet (pbuh)” bers.
(pp.93-95): includes a section: “Important Excerpts on Human Rights from the
Farewell Haj Sermon” (pp.94-95).
Textbook Subject: Islamiyat (Elective)
Classes: 9 & 10 (combined TB, as per approved 1988 curriculum of federal
MoE/CW for NWFP & FATA)
Table 14
NWFPTBB - 2002-07
Total # of pages: 224, divided as follows: Class 9: pp.1-99; Class 10: pp. 100-224.
45
Class 9: Focus mostly on teaching the Quran and Hadees and their memorization.
Class 10: Basic principles and teachings of Islam, including chapters on: monotheism, obedience to the Prophet (pbuh), purity and cleanliness, encouragement of
education, justice, Jihad, halal vs. haraam, modesty and chastity vs. obscenity and
immorality, social justice, duties and obligations, the “superiority of Islamic belief
and worship” (sic), the life of the Prophet (pbuh), the finality of prophethood, Arabic language and grammar.
Omission: peace; respect for women and non-Muslims, diversity, pluralism, etc.
Chapter titled: “Jihad” (pp.124-129): “In the language of Islamic Shariat, Jihad
means to glorify the name of God’s religion, and to use all possible means to counter
the enemies of Islam” (p.124).
“The highest level or final step of Jihad is to fight against infidels and non-believers
and to seek to sacrifice one’s life for the glory of Islam” … “The status of the Mujahid
who does this is far superior to the others … and he is called a ‘martyr’.” (p.125)
“Jihad is the fundamental spirit beneath all the other basic pillars of Islamic belief
and tenets. … If Jihad is removed, there remains neither religion nor its basic tenets
or pillars of faith” (p.125).
“Jihad means to spend one’s entire life preparing to counter the enemies of Islam
by sacrificing one’s wealth and laying down one’s life for the glory of Islam” (p.125).
“… glorifying the traits of Mujahideen: the condition for being a true believer (Momin) is: to go out to do Jihad, or to carry in one’s heart the desire to kill in the way of
God” (“Qitaal fee sabeelallah”) (p.125).
“The best of human beings is the Momin who does Jihad through sacrificing his
wealth and his life” (p.126).
“Going out to participate in Jihad is superior to sixty years of worship while staying
within one’s family” (p.126).
An entire section is devoted to: “Permission for Jihad or Qitaal fee Sabeelallah”
(pp.127-128).
An entire section is devoted to: “War Strategy for Muslims” (pp.128-129), and includes sub-sections: “Before War” (p.128) and “Charter or Code of Conduct for Mujahideen During War” (pp.128-129).
Comment: there is no corresponding chapter or section(s) on “How to Wage Peace”;
or “How to Live in Peaceful Co-Existence” or “How to Respect non-Muslims” or
“How to Teach Peace, non-Violence and Conflict Resolution”.
Chapter titled “Social Justice” cites the need in society for justice irrespective of
class, clan, nationhood, region (p.139), but omits gender, religion, sect and race.
Chapter titled: “Rights of Fellow Human Beings” (Huqooq-ul-Ibaad”, pp.147-149),
defines a Muslim as one who protects fellow Muslim “brothers” from harm to
their life, property and honour (p.147), but omits the same rights of women and
non-Muslims (fellow citizens).
46
Same chapter: duties of husbands towards wives include kindness, and provision of
basic necessities of life, e.g. shelter, food, clothing, etc. (p.148).
Same chapter: duties of wives towards husbands are far heavier: “a wife must obey
her husband, protect the home in his absence, do not permit any man to enter the
home whom her husband dislikes, bear and rear the children and not deprive them
of her maternal love” (sic) (p.148).
Comment: the Quran describes husbands and wives as raiment (covering) for each
other and enjoins upon them to live together in love and happiness and faithfulness.
Chapter titled: “the superiority of Islamic belief and worship” (pp.149-153): describes Islamic montheistic beliefs and worship - and proceeds to show their superiority by negative portrayals of other religions, especially Buddhism and Christianity (by name) (pp.151-152) and others by implication (p.152, paras 2 & 3).
Comment: It is un-Islamic and disrespectful towards Buddhism and Christianity
to speak disparagingly of them; and it is equally a disservice to Islam to attempt to
show its ‘superiority’ over all other religions by such a portrayal; it also goes clearly
against the Prophet (pbuh)’s Farewell Haj Sermon .
If something is “better” than another, there would be no need to try to prove it by
saying so, and by unjust comparisons or contrasts.
Muslims have to learn to be self-confident about their religion and themselves so as
not to constantly be contrasting and comparing Islam with others, to the detriment
of others.
Chapter titled: “Life of the Prophet (pbuh) – Best of all Prophets” (pp. 154-173):
contains Quranic commentary on the importance and need for Prophets, the brief
life sketches and messages of the following Prophets: Hazrat Nooh (a.s. – Noah,
pbuh), Hazrat Ibrahim (a.s. – Abraham, pbuh), Hazrat Moosa (a.s. – Moses, pbuh),
Hazrat Eesa [sic] (a.s. – Jesus Christ, pbuh) and “the final Prophet – the Prophet of
Islam” (pbuh) (pp.154-172).
Detailed accounts of the Meccan era (pp.173-182) and the Madina era (pp.183191); chapter ends with an excerpt from the Sermon of the Final Haj (p.191).
Chapter titled: “Completion of Shariat and Establishing Islamic Government”: misinterpretation of verse (Haj: 42:22): “God has enjoined the establishment of an Islamic government as necessary for the enforcement of Islamic injunctions…”
(p.192). Further: “the setting up of a regular and formally structured Islamic government was necessary for peace and security; and for the unhindered spread and
promotion of Islam and Muslim beliefs” (pp.192-193).
Same chapter: “In the 8 years following the migration to Madina, in order to gain
peace and security … the most prominent of the obligations of Islam was only Jihad…” (p.193).
47
Pakistan Studies
Subject: Pakistan Studies
Class: 9 [only currently in use TB was made available]
Table 15
N/A
N/A
2014-2015 Govt. of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa KPTBB (2010-13 &
2013-to date)
Total pages: 101
Maps of Pakistan include Jammu & Kashmir without a dotted line,
which would indicate a Disputed Territory (pp.40, 52 & 96). Map on
p.42 states “disputed territory”.
Chapter 1 title: “Pakistan’s Ideological Legacy” (pp.1-15), has 6 pages
of Islamic teachings and ideology; Two-Nation theory, based on Islam
and Hinduism (6 pages), and 3 pages on the role of Iqbal and Jinnah
(and the entire political freedom movement) in the conceptualization
and creation of Pakistan.
The entire chapter contains highly controversial and contentious assertions, e.g.: “The axis/pivot of the lives of South Asian Muslims is the
religion of Islam” (p.3); and
“the ideology of Pakistan became the basis and motivating factor of
Muslim religious identity” (ibid.); and
“The Kalima-e-Tauheed is the basis of the separate nationhood, creation and ideology of Pakistan, not Nationhood or Race. When the
first Indian individual converted to Islam, the foundation was laid for
a new nation [Pakistan].” (ibid.); and
Quoting Quaid-e-Azam M.A. Jinnah: “We should sincerely lay the foundations of our democracy on Islamic concepts and principles” (p.6).
Other passages jumble up Indian politics under the British Raj with
the religion and “ideology” of Islam… (pp.6-12).
Positive content: chapter 1, section 6: “Equal Rights of Minorities” in
an Islamic State, quoting an excerpt from Jinnah’s famous 11th August
1947 speech and the 1973 Constitution (p.6).
Creation of Pakistan, chapter 2, starts in 1857, with Muslims’ struggle for independence from the British Raj – not from Mehergarh, Mohen-jo-Daro, Harrappa or Takshila.
Positive content: In Geography, chapter 3, there is a section on the Environment with sub-sections: “environmental dangers; environmental issues; deforestation; desertification; and pollution” (7 pages).
Chapter 4, Pakistan History, starts with Independence day, 14th August
1947 and ends with the break up of Pakistan into Bangladesh and Pakistan (1947-1971).3
The section titled: “Reasons for the Separation of East Pakistan”
(pp.95-98) are contentious, one-sided and incomplete.
The textbook ends with the Urdu translation of a Quranic verse.
48
Subject: Pakistan Studies
Class: 10 (2008-13 TB not available)
Table 16
NWFPTBB - 2002-07
KPTBB - 2013-14
Dated 2007
Dated 2014
Total pages: 111
Total pages: 123
10 chapters, titled:
- “Ideological Basis of Pakistan”;
- “The Making of Pakistan”;
- “The Islamic Republic of Pakistan”;
- “Land and Climate of Pakistan”;
- “Resources”;
- “Industrial Development in Pakistan”;
4 chapters, titled:
- “History of Pakistan” (part 2);
- “Pakistan and the World”;
- “Economic Development”;
- “Pakistan’s Population, Society and Culture”.
- “Population of Pakistan”;
- “The Pakistani Culture”;
- “Education in Pakistan”;
- “Pakistan, a Welfare State”.
Chapter 1: “Ideological Basis of Paki- Chapter 1: “History of Pakistan” (part 2)
stan” is almost a copy of the Class 9 TB, starts in 1970, just a bit earlier than part 1
but is more detailed.
left off (class 9 TB).
Only those sayings of Allama Iqbal and Omission: discussion on 1973 ConstituQuaid-e-Azam M.A. Jinnah are quoted tion omits equality of women and minoriwhich could be interpreted as promot- ties (pp.6-9).
ing an Islamic theocratic state (pp.4-5).
Gen.Zia-ul-Haq military dictatorship
(pp.9-19): describes in great detail, with
glowing admiration and commendation,
the “Islamization” process, esp. promulgation of laws, e.g. Hudood Ordinances,
Blasphemy laws, holding of LG elections,
establishment of Fed. Shariat Court, and
several other steps, but in 10 pages there
is no mention of severe violations of fundamental human rights (esp. of women
and religious minorities), torture, flogging,
imprisonment, killings, etc.
49
Gen. Zia-ul-Haq’s “Islamization” process is
justified as follows: “after the creation of
Pakistan, the masses wanted Islamic laws
to be enforced (sic), hence soon after becoming President of Pakistan, Gen. Zia-ulHaq promulgated the Islamic Hudood Ordinances, which is a landmark milestone
of Islamization in Pak history” (pp.10-11).
etc. etc.
“The subjects of of Islamiyaat and Pakistan Studies were made compulsory up to
the BA/BSc level, but non-Muslims were
granted permission (sic) to study Ethics
instead of Islamiyaat” (p.12).
Omission: of the negative consequences of Gen. Zia-ul-Haq’s 8th Constitutional
Amendment (aka indemnity clause) continuing to date (p.17).
Glorification of nuclearization of Pakistan
in 1998 (p.27). No mention of peace education.
Gen. Pervez Musharraf’s military dictatorship: rather than listing his abrogation of
the Constitution and violation of human
rights and democracy, this section hugely
commends and praises the dictator’s acts,
e.g. promulgation of Local Govt. law and
LG elections, setting up the NRB, holding
the 2002 General Elections (pp.28-32);
his “enlightened moderation” (p.32); economic reforms and growth, industrialization and privatization; defence industry
growth; education reforms; CNIC computerization; etc.
The movement for restoration of judiciary and democracy is not praised, but Gen.
Musharraf’s Emergency is justified thus:
“it was necessary to restore law and order
in the face of general chaos and protest
movement by lawyers, judiciary and civil
society” (p.35).
Chapter 2: “The Making of Pakistan” Chapter 2: “Pakistan and the World”:
states, inter alia: “The death of Aurangzeb Alamgir in 1707 was a great trage- Section on Foreign Policy includes point
dy for the Muslims… Their moral and # 2: “Protection of Ideological Frontiers is
based on Islam, hence this is the basis of
50
religious decline started…” (p.7) with- Pak Foreign Policy” (p.43).
out stating one word about the characRelations with India: the ENTIRE burter, actions and reign of Aurangzeb.
den of hostile India-Pakistan relations is
Chapter 2: controversial and inflam- placed on India and the Kashmir dispute
matory assertions are made in the without any introspection or critical analsub-section titled: “Importance of 27th ysis (pp.45-47).
Ramadan/14 August 1948 [sic, instead
of 1947] A.D. – Why India opted 15th Relations with Saudi Arabia: praised skyAugust instead of 14th August?” (p.15). high, with particular kudos for Gen. Ziaul-Haq’s efforts, e.g. obtaining cheap oil,
financial support, migrant labour, Faisal
Mosque, IIU, in return for defence pacts
and support from Pakistan.
UN agencies: omission: UN Women, UNFPA, ILO, UNESCO.
Comment: The entire chapter is gender
blind and omits minorities too.
Chapter 3: “The Islamic Republic of Pa- Chapter 3: “Economic Development”:
kistan”:
Complete omission: women, esp. glaring
Detailed explanation of “Objectives in Poverty, Education, Agriculture sections
Resolution 1949 as an entire sub-sec- (pp.68-70; 74-80; 93-96).
tion under section titled “History
of making Constitution in Pakistan”
(pp.20-21). Constitutional Amendment # 1 (1974) is explained under
“main features of 1973 Constitution”
(p.22), in addition to a focus on Islamic
provisions (pp.22-23).
Chapter 3, section titled “The fall of East
Pakistan” lists several causes - number
1 is titled: “Role of India” (p.23).
Another cause listed: “Conspiracy” of
“one crore Hindus … still living in [East]
Pakistan whose interest were with India. They were also trying to separate
East Pakistan from West Pakistan…”
(pp.24-25).
Another cause: “Indian attack” (pp.2526).
No discussion of internal inequalities,
imbalances, injustices, humiliation and
insulting attitudes, illegalities, crimes,
etc.
51
Chapter 4: “Land and Climate of Paki- Chapter 4: “Pakistan’s Population, Society
stan”:
and Culture”:
Positive content: inclusion of sections
on “Climate change”, “Environmental problems”, “Pollution”, and “What
should be done now” (pp.34-38).
Highly contentious and disputed figure
(esp.in absence of decennial census):
“97% of Pakistan’s total population is
Muslim and Pakistanis are joined to one
another by religious ties” (p.104).
“Great care is taken to protect minorities”
(p.104).
Characteristics of Pakistani society: #
5: “Superiority of Men”: “Men are superior in Pakistani society because earning/providing for the family is their responsibility” (sic) (p.105).
# 9: “Wedding traditions”: “Islamic traditions are clearly visible in Pakistani wedding traditions … starting with Islamic
Nikah … Islam teaches us simplicity at
weddings but still we have certain traditions which Islam frowns upon, e.g. huge
dowries, etc.” (p.115).
Chapter 5: “Resources”: section titled
“Human Resources” defined as “man
power” (sic) without gender sensitivity.
Omission: of women from the discussion
on Society, Education and Culture (pp.104116) and of religious minorities.
Section titled “moderation in life”:
(a) Islamic ideals (2 paras) without
pluralist, multi-religious sensitivity,
thus better suited to the TB of Islamiyaat (p.53);
(b) positive content: one-sentence ref.
re. poverty (p.53).
Chapter 6: “Industrial Development in
Pakistan”: This TB was prepared under the post-9/11 anti-USA (post-Afghanistan and post-Iraq invasions)
52
religio-political MMA coalition government (JI, JUI, etc.) – includes this sentence: “In December 2003, Bill Gates
the greatest magnate of computer …
has expressed his willingness to set up
their industries in Pakistan. This industry is very paying and its future is very
bright. Experts from U.S. shall come
and train our manpower” (pp.57-58).
Comment: This chapter mentions child
labour but is entirely gender-blind.
Glorification of war and military industrial capacity, including “nuclear
bombs of even greater power than produced by India and also laser guided
missiles to carry the nuclear device at
the exact target. … Augusta submarine … is a very advanced type … and
now our sea coast is not vulnerable to
Indian war ships. We have every reason to be proud of it. Now building of
war ships is also planned with Chinese
help. … fighter plane F-J-17 has been
manufactured which is light and better
in performance than F-16. Also … F-7
… ” (p.63).
Comments: (1) These passages might
be better suited to the armed forces’
universities’ courses in Defence and
Strategic Studies than for 15 year old
children in public schools.
(2) The blatant glorification of the war
industry is not counter-balanced with
peace education, or any discussion of
military expenditures vs. socio-economic development expenditures
in a poverty-stricken country with a
shameful HDI.
Chapter 7: “Population of Pakistan”:
Perpetuation of falsehood/myth re.
women: “as very few women are in the
working force, therefore, our GNP [sic]
is low” (p.73).
Anti-women
stereotyping:
“They
53
(women) like to have better living standard and material possessions” (p.73).
Targeting women: as if illiterate Pakistani women are the sole decision-makers re. family planning and family size:
“Literacy … of women is very low and
they simply cannot comprehend the
disadvantages of having large number
of children for them and the country”
(p.74).
Totally inappropriate statement re. one
of the causes of high population growth
rate in Pakistan: “Moreover, they have
no other recreation, pastime or diversion” (p.74).
The Health section contains this untrue, unbelievable and non-referenced
statement: “… general health of the
people … in spite of poverty and unemployment it is better than that of all the
SAARC countries and some southeastern (sic) countries” (p.76)!
Politically incorrect and unacceptable
statement: “FATA is a part of N.W.F.P.
…” (p.77).
Chapter 8: “The Pakistani Culture”:
“The Muslims entered into this piece of
land which laid a foundation for a new
but established culture” (p.80).
“Speciality of our culture is Islamic
touch in it” [followed by an entire paragraph on ‘Islamic Culture’ (p.80).
Chapter 8, section titled: “Status of
man and woman” (p.81) states: “In Pakistani culture man plays a dominant
role. He is head of family. He gives his
name to coming generation. … Woman
enjoys command at home. This is the
responsibility of woman to look after
house and children. … Rights of man
and woman are settled according to Islamic teachings and they are followed.”
54
On Marriages in Pakistan: “There is Islamic touch in it. Marriage starts in Islam with ‘Nikkah’. … Islam has taught
us to celebrate this function simply”
(p.82).
On Art: “When teachings of Islam
spread, priorities and preferences
changed. People diverted their attention from idol making to sculpture
gradually” (p.83).
Chapter 9: “Education in Pakistan”:
gender-insensitive language: “Man’s
position without education … Education adds to the value of man” (p.88).
“In education policy 1978 teaching of Islamyat and Pakistan Studies was made
compulsory … in order to strengthen
ideological basis of Pakistan. This was
fully implemented” (p.89).
Another sweeping and insulting generalization: “Most of the universities set
up in the private sector are sub-standard” (p.96).
Chapter 10: “Pakistan, a Welfare State”:
This chapter should be re-titled “Pakistan, an Islamic State” and be moved to
the Islamiyaat TB. Examples:
“Pakistan … was the first Islamic state
in the world which got its existence on
(sic) the name of Islam. Since its creation every endeavour was made to
make it an Islamic state, where Islamic
laws will be fully promulgated” (p.102).
Section titled: “Welfare State in Islamic
Perspective” states, inter alia: “In Islamic welfare state religion, customs,
traditions and cultural values are of
great importance…” (p.102).
Section titled: “National Goals” states,
inter alia: “(1) To develop such an Islamic society which is based on Islamic teachings… Quaid-e-Azam stated …
we did not demand Pakistan just to get
55
a land but we wanted to get a laboratory where we could exercise Islamic
principles…” (p.102).
Section titled “Equality” omits gender
equality in the list (cf. Constitutional
Article 25) (p.108).
Section titled “Universal Brotherhood
(sic) and World Peace” states, inter
alia: “Pakistan is an Islamic … state”
(p.108); and “Islam is not only the religion of the people of Pakistan but it
is also a state religion. Islam is not
limited to a specific area or nation; its
teachings are for all. Everlasting success of human beings lies in it” (p.108).
***********************
56
General Knowledge
Subject: General Knowledge
Class: 1
Table 17
KPTBB - 2014-2015 – approved by federal Ministry of Education, Curriculum
Wing, GoP
Total pages: 91
Chapters include: “Our Allah”; “Our Holy Prophet”; “Our Prayers”; “The Holy Books”.
Comment: since Islamiyaat is compulsory from Class 1, there is no need for duplication and triplication of religious instruction in several other subjects (e.g. GK, Pak
Studies, Urdu, etc).
Chapter 1: “Our Allah”: under class activity: “All children should memorize the Kalima-e-Tayyiba, Tawuz and Tasmiya and recite these to their teacher” (p3).
Comment: there are non-Muslims in Pakistan, so why should all students be forced
to do this?
Muslims use the word “Allah” (vs. generic term “God” used in all religions).
Chapter 6: “Our Daily Food”: teaching all students to recite “Bismillah” and “Alhamdolillah” before and after meals (p.16).
Chapter 14: “Our Prayers”:
Positive content: chapter includes names of places of worship of Muslims, Hindus,
Christians and Sikhs (pp.39-40).
Chapter 23: “The Holy Books”:
Positive content: chapter includes mention of Zaboor (Psalms), Torah, Bible, Quran
(p.63).
Positive content: pictures of: (i) girls going to school; (ii) professional women, e.g.
doctor, nurse, teacher; (iii) a group outing showing women, men, girls and boys.
Positive content: inside back cover shows a green leaf with the slogan: “Plant a tree,
green the earth, clean the air, live happily”.
57
Subject: General Knowledge
Class: 2
Table 18
KPTBB 2014-2015
Not approved by federal Ministry of Education, Curriculum Wing, GoP
Total pages: 136 (too much for a 6-year old student to study, memorize and
recall for exams)
Cover states: “The General Knowledge for Grade-II includes concepts from Islamiyat, Science and Social Studies.”
There is too much religion and duplication of Islamiyaat TBs, e.g. chapters include:
“Blessings/Bounties of Allah”;
“Fasting”;
“Religious Festivals of the Muslims” (5 pages);
“Religious Festivals in Different Religions” (4 pages for all other religions);
“Developing a Good Character” (only religious content, but POSITIVE aspect: the 3
monotheistic Prophets (PBUT) are discussed).
Positive content: Chapters titled: “The Natural Environment”; “Water”; “Plants”;
“Animals”; “Uses of Earth’s Resources”; “Conservation of the Earth’s Resources”.
Positive content: Chapter titled: “Respecting Others” promotes pluralism, peace and
respect for diversity (pp.119-123).
Chapter 22 titled: “Forgiving One Another” is a positive concept, but the naughty
boy is called Tony, which is a Christian name and might provoke disrespect or violence (pp.124-128).
Chapter 23 titled: “Taking Care of One Another” is a positive concept and includes
names of both girls and boys helping each other (pp.129-132).
Chapter 24 titled: “Doing Justice to One Another” is a positive concept (pp.133-136).
58
Subject: General Knowledge
Class: 3
Table 19
KPTBB 2014 (for academic year 2015-16) – according to the National Curriculum (2006)
Total pages: 144
Chapter titles:
“The Earth as a Living Planet”
“Changes in Living Things”
“The Sun”
“Natural, Human and Capital Resources”
“Conservation of Natural Resources”
“Food and Feeding”
“Past and Present Things”
“Inventors and Inventions”
“Tools and Machines”
“Making the World a Better Place”
“Working out Disagreement”
Omission: almost total omission of women and girls from the text, photos and illustrations; occupations; inventors; Muslim scientists; examples, etc.
Positive content: environment; inclusion of Dr. Abdus Salam in a list of Pakistani
scientists;
Honesty: “Islam has laid great emphasis to maintain honesty” (p.134).
Q: Have other religions and atheism not done that?
Respect for law: “According to Islam everyone is equal in the eyes of Law” (p.134).
Q: Not in other religions or those of no religion?
Respect for rights of others: “Our religion has taught us to respect the rights of others … according to injunctions of Islam” (p.134).
Q: Only the religion of Islam?
59
Social Studies
Subject: Social Studies
Class: 4
Table 20
NWFPTBB - 2002-07
Total pages: 92
Chapter titles:
NWFP - Geography
NWFP – History
Population and Occupations
Climate
Forests and Pastures
Irrigation
Agriculture
Livestock
Minerals
Manufacturing and Cottage Industries
Transportation
Communications
Provincial Governance
Welfare Organizations
Our Problems
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique (ra)
Hazrat Umar Farooq (ra)
Hazrat Usman Ghani (ra)
Hazrat Ali (ra)
Syed Ahmad Shaheed Barelvi
Hazrat Pir Baba
Malik Khuda Bakhsh
Quaid-e-Azam
KPTBB - 2008-13
Total pages: 111
Positive content: slogan on inside front
cover jacket: “We Want Peace” in English, Urdu and Pushto.
Chapter titles:
Geography (measurements,
maps, scales)
globes,
Our History (important historical events
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, social
issues and their solution, important personalities of our province)
Our Land and our People (geography of
our province, population, relationship
between human beings and land, climate, natural disasters
Our Government (governance and administration, rights and duties of citizens)
Our Economics (our economic priorities,
goods and services)
Culture (our lifestyles, peaceful coexistence, conflict resolution, communications)
60
Chapter 2: “NWFP – History”: “…Hindus do not believe in God. They worship
idols and pray to them. When Muslims
came to this region, Hindus fought wars
against them. The Hindu Rajas were defeated. Muslims treated the people living here very well. … But still, Hindus
retained enmity against Muslims. When
the British invaded this region, Hindus
sided with them against Muslims.” (p.16)
Chapter 2: “Our History”: Positive contents:
(i) addition of new and progressive
facets of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa history,
including Baacha Khan’s Khudaiyi Khidmatgaar Movement, Roshaniya Movement, etc. (pp.23-25);
(ii) inclusion of a paragraph on Talibanization in Afghanistan and Pakistan
“Under the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam, (p.26).
Muslims were active in the freedom
movement for the creation of an inde- Section titled “Social issues and their
solution” includes a section on “poverty
pendent Islamic state.” (p.17)
and unemployment” but entirely omits
mention of women and the steep feminization of poverty and unremunerated
female employment (pp.30-31).
A section titled “Societal attitudes” includes a frank discussion of the lack of
moderation and recommends “meaningful education, inculcating the values
of peace, love, and communal harmony”
(p.34).
Unnecessary section titled “Comparison
of people of Punjab with people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa” includes this: “people
in both provinces love Islam and Pakistan” (p.34).
Section titled: “important personalities
of our province” lists a large number of
religious, cultural, social, political personalities – ALL MEN.
Omission: There is total omission of
women, e.g. towering personalities such
as Begum Mahmooda Saleem Khan, Begum Zari Sarfaraz Khan, Begum Nasim
Wali Khan, Ms. Zaitoon Bano and the
hundreds of Pakhtun women personalities of international historical eminence.
[see the Recommendations chapter for a
longer list.]
Omission: Likewise, not a single
non-Muslim of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is
named or listed. Pluralism is merely a
theoretical virtue.
61
Chapter 3: “Population and Occupa- Chapter 3: Positive content:
tions”: gender-blind descriptions, data
and information, without disaggregation section titled “relationship between human beings and land” discusses the enviand also omission of minorities.
ronment, including a wonderful illustraExercise questions include #4: “What is tion of the evil of cutting trees (p.59).
your Father’s occupation?” (p.26)
Chapter 13: “Provincial Governance”:
section titled “Provincial Assembly”
describes only elected (male) MPAs
and omits any mention of women and
minorities elected on reserved seats
(pp.59-60).
Chapter 4: “Our Government”: section titled “Provincial Assembly” – ditto NWFP
textbook omission (pp.75-76).
Section titled: “rights and duties of citizens” omits gender equality and justice
in the list of fundamental human rights
Only boys and men are named and cited, (p.80).
as questioner and responder, in profesSection titled: “Welfare Organizations
sions and in government (pp.57-61).
and Professional Associations” actually
includes JIRGAS as the rural counterparts of urban human rights organizations in order “to resolve conflicts and
deliver rights and justice” (p.82). Ditto
p.105 under “conflict resolution”.
Positive content:
Chapter 14: “Welfare Organizations”:
section titled “Auqaf Department” – its
duties include: “provision of dowry, etc.
for poverty-stricken girls [sic] and other
such noble and welfare activities” (p.65).
Section titled:
(pp.99-102).
Section titled “APWA”: its “very good activities include teaching women housekeeping, embroidery, and other such
skills” (p.65).
Chapter 15: “Our Problems”:
Positive contents:
(i) section on “Population growth”:
well-explained problem and the way to
resolve it (p.67).
(ii) section on “Environmental pollution”: explained in the context of health
and hygiene (p.70).
62
“peaceful coexistence”
Subject: Social Studies
Class: 5
Table 21
NWFPTBB - 2002-07
KPTBB - 2008-13
KPTBB - 2013-15
Total pages: 128
Total pages:128
Total pages: 140
Date: 2007
Date: 2012
Chapter titles:
Chapter titles:
Date: 2014-15
Chapter titles:
1. Our Nation:
i. Differences in
du-Muslim cultures
1. Our Nation:
Hin- i. Differences in
du-Muslim cultures
1. Mapping skills:
Hin- Geography of Pakistan
2. Geographic Regions
ii. Necessity of creating an ii. Necessity of creating an of Pakistan: Interdependence
independent country
independent country
iii. Ideology of Pakistan
iii. Ideology of Pakistan
3. Climate:
i. area, boundaries
i. area, boundaries
4. History:
iv. India’s bad intentions iv. India’s bad intentions i. Climatic Regions
against Pakistan
against Pakistan
ii. Effect of Human Activity on Climate
2. Our Land:
2. Our Land:
ii. location
ii. location
i. Important events
iii. neighbouring countries iii. neighbouring countries ii. Historical problems,
impact and solution
3. Regions of Pakistan
3. Regions of Pakistan
iii. Decisions impacting
history
4. Climate
4. Climate
5. Irrigation
6. Natural Resources
5. Irrigation
6. Natural Resources
iv. Historical explorers
and discoveries
5. Our Governance Sys7. Agricultural Production 7. Agricultural Production tem:
8. Minerals & Hydel Power 8. Minerals & Hydel Power i. Federal government
Cottage Industries/ ii. Constitution
9.
Cottage Industries/ 9.
Handicrafts
Handicrafts
10. Population & Census
10. Population & Census
63
11. National Security
12. Governance
11. National Security
12. Governance
6. Sources of Information
7. Culture:
13. Transport & Communi- 13. Transport & Commu- i. Pakistani Culture
nications
cations
ii. Welfare Organizations
14. Welfare Organizations 14. Welfare Organizations
iii. Values
15. Our Problems & Solu- 15. Our Problems & Solu8. Economics:
tions
tions
16. Some Important Per- 16. Some Important Per- i. Public goods & services
sonalities
sonalities
ii. Education
i. Hazrat Khadija (ra)
i. Hazrat Khadija (ra)
iii. Health
ii. Hazrat Fatima Zehra ii. Hazrat Fatima Zehra
iv. Safety & security
(ra)
(ra)
iii. Hazrat Imam Hussain iii. Hazrat Imam Hussain v. Sports & parks
(ra)
(ra)
vi. Trade
iv. Muhammad bin Qasim iv. Muhammad bin Qasim
vii. Evolution of money,
currency
v. Mahmud Ghaznavi
v. Mahmud Ghaznavi
vi. Aurangzeb Alamgir
vi. Aurangzeb Alamgir
viii. Tipu Sultan
viii. Tipu Sultan
vii. Shah Waliullah
ix. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan
vii. Shah Waliullah
ix. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan
viii. Banks
ix. Pakistani economic
system
x. Syed Jamaluddin Af- x. Syed Jamaluddin Afghani
ghani
xi. Maulana Obaidullah xi. Maulana Obaidullah
Sindhi
Sindhi
xii. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal
xii. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal
xiii. Quaid-e-Azam M. Ali xiii. Quaid-e-Azam M. Ali
Jinnah
Jinnah
Chap.1: “Differences in Hin- Ditto
Chapter omitted
du-Muslim cultures”: this
section not only repeats
the offensive, anti-Hindu,
hatred-inducing material
taught at lower grades, but
further expands upon it.
(pp.5-6)
64
Chap. 1: “Necessity of Ditto
creating an independent
country”: depicts untruthful and distorted history
of Indo-Pak sub-continent,
e.g. “Hindus never cooperated with Muslims”; “Congress is a Party of Hindus,
hence Muslims should not
join it”; etc. (p.6)
Chapter omitted
Chap. 1: “India’s bad inten- Ditto
tions against Pakistan”: “…
but Hindus never sincerely
accepted Pakistan as an independent country.” (p.9)
Chapter omitted
Chap.11: “National Secu- Ditto
rity”: glorification of militarization, weaponization
and armed forces as the
sole definition of national
security (pp.68-72)
“Security” is a section in
the Economics chapter: it
describes citizens’ security/ protection as a basic
human right and duty of
the state, to be carried
out by the armed forces
and police (p.126)
Chap. 1: “Ideology of Pa- Ditto
kistan”: 2-nation theory:
inter alia: “It was not possible for Muslims to live
their lives in accordance
with the Quran and Sunnat, hence Muslims made
huge sacrifices to create
Pakistan in order to live
according to the Islamic injunctions in the light of the
Quran and Sunnat. This is
called the Ideology of Pakistan.” (p.8)
Chapter omitted
Chap.1: “1971 war”: de- Ditto
picts untruthful and distorted history of the creation of Bangladesh (p.11)
Chapter omitted
65
“Culture” is subsumed un- Ditto
der Chap.10: “Population
& Census”: sections include: languages, dresses,
customs & traditions: inter
alia: “we are one nation;”
“we are almost all Muslims,
thus our customs and traditions are alike, with minor geographic variations.”
Religious festivals listed: “2
Eids + Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi (pbuh), Shab-e-Baraat &
Ashura” (pp.61-62).
“Culture” is a separate
chapter (7): sections include: definition, Pakistani culture, common
features, distinctive features, status of women:
“in Pakistan women have
a high and honourable
status and are respected” (p.108), benefits of
multiculturalism (p.109),
comparison between Pakistani & Indian cultures
(p.110). Omission: religious minorities.
Chap.14: “Welfare Organi- Ditto
zations”: sections include:
schools, colleges & universities, hospitals, child welfare institutions, orphanages, Zakat Fund, Auqaf
Department, youth movement, Red Crescent, Boy
Scouts & Girl Guides, centres for special children,
national parks, zoos &
museums, libraries, blood
banks, national savings
schemes, and prize bond
schemes.
“Welfare Organizations”
are a section under Chapter 7: “Culture”: sections
include: definition of
welfare
organizations,
family, mosques (“Pakistani society is basically
a Muslim society, hence
mosques and minarets
are the most important
symbols of Islamic culture and a mosque is also
known as the house of Allah Almighty… Mosques
depict respect and discipline. After the home,
the mosque is the second most important educational and training
institution for a child”
p.113), schools, madrassas (“madrassas are run
in the best possible manner… the importance of
madrassas in education
and training of children
cannot be denied” p.115).
66
Positive content: Chap- Ditto
ter 15: “Our Problems &
Solutions”: sections include: waterlogging and
salinity of agricultural
land, poverty, beggary, illiteracy, ill-health, unemployment, homelessness
leading to non-formal settlements (katchi abaadis),
mal-&under-nutrition,
sanitation and environmental conservation.
Omission
Chapter omitted
Omission
Chapter 7: “Culture”
NEW SECTION titled:
“VALUES”: sub-sections
include: definition and
different value systems,
factors influencing culture, education and religion, the impact of personal values on social
values and attitudes, differential problem-solving
via different value systems (pp.117-122).
Comment: This section
is overly biased towards
the superiority of the
majority religion as a value system (“the Islamic
faith…respect for the Quran and Arabic language”
– p.118) and (“the simplicity of Muslim women”
[p.118] vs. “its absence in
foreign women” [p.120]).
Omission: religious minorities.
67
Subject: Social Studies
Class: 8
Table 22
NWFPTBB - 2002-07
KPTBB – 2013
Total pages: 120
Total pages: 124
Chapter titles:
Chapter titles:
1. The Universe
2. Main climatic zones of the world
Ditto
3. World resources
4. World Population
5. World media and Pakistan
6. Tourism
7. Ideology of Pakistan
8. United Nations
Chap.1: para 1 (p.1): this para needs to Ditto
be shifted to the Islamiyat textbook and
replaced by the scientific study of the
creation of the universe.
Chap. 4: section titled: “Increase in Pop- Ditto chapter: current pop: 160 million,
ulation of Pakistan”: current pop: 151.1 increasing at 1.9% (p.60).
million, increasing at 1.9% (p.59).
“The population of women is equal to
“The population of women is almost that of men” (p.62). [incorrect]
equal to that of men” (p.61). [incorrect:
women: 48%; men: 52%]
Chap. 3: section titled: “Information Ditto (pp.54-55).
Technology” – last para: “Information
technology is also a means of providing
an important means of information exchange among Muslim countries. … A
sense of brotherhood will prevail among
them. … Muslim countries will have to
advance in the field of IT and so have to
gather on a single platform” (p.56).
68
Chap. 4: sub-section titled: “men and Ditto (p.61)
women”: one whole para of positive
content re. equality of women and men
and need for women’s education and
equal opportunities, contains the following gratuitous sentence too: “A woman
makes a home and in this way a happy
and civilized society springs up” (p.62).
Chap. 4: positive contents: (pp.62-67)
• Effects of population increase on
human resources;
Ditto (pp.63-68)
• Housing problems;
• Transport problems;
• Health and sanitation problems;
• Environmental problems;
• Population & Educational problems;
• Human Values.
However, the last sentence in this chapter states: “… and above all, the work Ditto (p.67)
of propagating Islamic supreme values
must be expedited.” (p.68)
Chap. 6: “Tourism”: 6 famous explorers/ Ditto (pp.82-89)
discoverers are named, ending with Pakistani mountaineer Nazir Sabir: ALL 6 Omission: women (e.g. Samina Baig).
MEN. (pp.81-87)
Factual error: “Pakistan’s population of
140 million” (p.89)
Omission: women (e.g. Samina Baig).
Factual error: “Pakistan’s population of [even previous errors are reproduced
verbatim]
140 million” (p.87)
Chap. 7: “Ideology of Pakistan” (pp.91- Ditto (pp.93-113)
108):
Repetition of entire chapters from Pakistan Studies textbook, along with the
same biases and distortions, e.g. “By the
grace of Allah and the efforts of Pakistani people, Pakistan is now so strong
that it is regarded as the “Strong Fort of
Islam” by other Muslim countries. The
day is not far off when Pakistan is count- Ditto (p.113)
ed among the foremost countries of the
world.” (p.108)
69
Chap. 7: Bias against Christian religious Ditto (p.96)
minority under the British Raj: section
titled: “The propagation of Christianity”
(pp.93-94).
Chap. 8: “The United Nations”:
Factual errors: (1) the World Bank is listed as one of the UN agencies. (2) Item
on WB includes statements like e.g.: WB
“helps in the development of poor countries by providing them loans” (p.114)
Ditto (p.118)
***********************
70
Situation Analysis of Findings
The UN and the vast community of Pakistani education experts insist that “the ONLY
work a child should do is homework from school”.10
But, in addition to this basic common concern, our grave query is: what KIND of
schoolwork and homework are our children doing? What are their learning outcomes
and achievements? Is there a spirit of inquiry being inculcated in our children, or are
they simply taught to be parrots?
Is there any respect for, and acceptance of, dissent and difference? Is there an objectively verifiable element of truth in the history our children study? What kinds of
adult citizens are the current Pakistani curricula and textbooks producing?
Where is the current Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Education Policy? The Education Sector
Plan and its Plan of Action? Where is their implementation heading vis-à-vis the provincial education curriculum and the corresponding textbooks in use in provincial
public sector schools?
Why do we see more of an element of change and fluctuation in the public sector textbooks in the KP province, relative to the other three provinces?
In addition to its binding obligations as a State Party to the UN CRC (cited
above), Pakistan is also a signatory to the Education for All (EFA) goals as per
the Jomtien (1990) and Dakar (2000) goals and framework.
As per the 2014 assessments from within Pakistan11 and by monitoring by the
UN, it is not on target to achieve any of the EFA’s six goals.
Pakistan also signed on to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in
2000. It is not on track to achieve them by 2015, as per the GoP’s own admission: “The country is off-track on all three indicators: 100% primary school
enrolment, 100% completion of primary education (grades 1-5), and achieving 88% literacy rate.”12
Almost 50% of primary school-age Pakistani children are not enrolled in school, and
among girls, the out-of-school proportion is closer to 75%. Primary school completion rates have actually fallen between 2009 and 2014.
55% of all Pakistani adults (aged 18+) are illiterate. 75% of adult women are illiterate.
10
11
12
ILO slogan.
Annual updates: ASER (from ITA) and AA
p.26, “Pakistan Millennium Development Goals Report 2013”, GoP, Planning Commission, 2013
71
Thus, Pakistan did not achieve any of its MDGs education targets by end-2015.13
In fact, neither the Federal Government nor the provincial Education Departments achieved even the modest goals set forth in the National Curriculum
(2006), which compulsorily forms the basis of all the textbooks written and
published before the 18th CA (2010).
Textbook writers were not permitted to deviate from the outlines given in the
National Curriculum guides; however, these outlines were broad enough to
permit considerable provincial variations.
That is not to endorse or condone the many acts of commission and omission
in the 2006 National Curriculum itself. For instance, the National Curriculum for Pakistan Studies (for grades 9 and 10) errs in stating the date of the
promulgation of the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance as 1959, whereas it was
actually promulgated in 1961.14
In the same document, in the History section, one component is simply stated
as: “Separation of East Pakistan and Emergence of Bangladesh”.15 Hence, it is
left completely open to the personal views/biases/inclinations of the respective provincial textbook writers to colour this phase of Pakistan’s history any
way they choose to do so, without any guidance or broad outlines from the
Government’s Curriculum Bureau about the need for presenting diverse, balanced and respectful views of historical events and their causes.
There are several similar examples in the other National Curriculum guides,
particularly noteworthy being the Social Studies and Islamiyat curricula for
all grades.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government followed the National Curriculum up
to 2010. In 2011 the then-ANP Government made some changes in its textbooks, especially by inserting peace and environment-friendly slogans – but it
continued to follow the 2006 National Curriculum.
State of Education
Of the almost half of all Pakistani children (aged 5-16) who are out of school,
68% have never attended school, while 32% enrolled but dropped out.16
The ASER reports show only small improvements, in spite of the provincial
13
P. 5, Summary of “Pakistan Millennium Development Goals Report 2013”, GoP, Planning Commission, 2013
14
p.6, “National Curriculum for Pakistan Studies Grades IX-X 2006”, GoP, Ministry of Education,
Islamabad
15
ibid.
16
ASER and Alif Ailaan annual reports
72
education budget increases and the enacted laws (see sections below).
The National Curriculum (2006), the National Education Policy (NEP: 2009)
and National Plan of Action on Education (NPA: 2001-2015) give importance
to Early Childhood Education (ECE), but of the pre-school children (3-5 years
old), 60.8% in the rural areas and 42.2% in the urban areas are not enrolled
at all.
Legislation
According to the most recent ASER update (2014 annual ASER report), Balochistan, ICT, Punjab and Sindh have enacted laws to comply with Article 25A, which was inserted through the 18th Constitutional Amendment (CA), as
a mandate to provide all Pakistani children universal, free and compulsory
education up to the age of 16.
However, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has not yet enacted a law on RTE, UPE or EFA.
The enacted laws are:
Islamabad, ICT: Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2012
Punjab: Compulsory and Free Education Ordinance 2013
Balochistan: Free and Compulsory Education Act 2014
Sindh: Compulsory and Free Education Act 2013
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: the draft Bill: “Right to Free and Compulsory Education Bill
2011” remained pending in the Provincial Assembly and lapsed during the previous
ANP government tenure. It is not yet enacted after over 2.5 years of the current PTI
government.
Education Budgets
The quality, quantity, timeliness of printing, and free distribution of public sector textbooks depends on allocations and timely releases of the earmarked funds.
This is an important criterion, in addition to the selection of authors and provincial
policies regarding textbooks.
In the outgoing fiscal year (FY: July 2014 to June 2015), there was an increase
in the federal and provincial budget allocations for education, i.e. Balochistan
by 23%, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa by 14%, Punjab by 10% and Sindh by 21%.
The next provincial budgets have pledged even more increases.
Despite education being made a fully devolved subject after the 18th CA, the
73
federal government also increased its education budget allocation by 8%.
However, there are still concerns about the actual expenditures, as the increased federal and provincial budgets all together amounted to 2.5%, much
less than 4-5% of the GDP, which is the minimum required towards achieving
the Education For All (EFA) goals, as per UNESCO and UNICEF’s recommendations.
Nevertheless, it still remains to be seen as to how much of the allocated
amounts were actually released and, more important, how much was eventually spent, as we often see under-utilization, resulting in returned funds.
These returned amounts could have been utilized to improve the quality and
quantity of the textbooks, as well as teachers’ training modules and manuals
– and to ensure their timeliness of supply.
Forced Imposition of Religio-Political Ideology in Education
The USA and Saudi Arabian-sponsored “jihad” against then-USSR invasion and occupation of Afghanistan, throughout the 1980s, was originally meant for Afghanistan,
but was applied to Pakistani national curricula and textbooks too.
Thus, our history books, from primary to higher secondary level, have an entirely distorted version of the creation of Pakistan. They state that “its genesis was created
when Muhammad Bin Qasim invaded India”, or “when the first Hindu converted to
Islam”. These and other distortions are now part of our “official” history. It will only be after Pakistan decides to rectify its history narrative, we can then start
to resolve our other narrative problems in Pakistan, including a new counter-terrorism narrative, as per the National Action Plan (NAP 2014) endorsed by all the political
parties in the aftermath of the brutal terrorist massacre of around 150 students and
teachers at the Army Public School (Peshawar) on 16th December 2014.
Much has been written about how the jihadi culture started and flourished in Pakistan.
Just a few brief extracts from three Pakistani sources will suffice to illustrate the point:
I.
Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) report: “Curriculum
of Hate” (2008)
“Our enemy lies within, not without.”17
“There is a world of a difference between pre-1979 and post-1979 curricula. Pakistan’s original ideology was secular, orientation welfare. The move from a welfare
17
p.7, “Curriculum of Hate”, Centre for Research & Security Studies (CRSS), 2008
74
state to a security state came first followed by a wave that eventually crammed the
public school curricula with messages of hate, prejudice, violence and extremism.
There were at least three other factors that contributed to the militarization of the
Pakistani state, society and curricula. First, the 9-year conflict that is referred to as
the Soviet-Afghan War. Second, the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Third, the use of Pakistani geographical territory by Iran and Saudi Arabia to fight out their own Shia-Sunni
proxy battles.
“Over the past 29 years, at least ten different governments and half a dozen prime
ministers have come up with their National Education Policies, Education Sector Reform Action Plans, Policy Review Teams and a whole host of White Papers. … Somehow, cannonballs of hate, communiques of prejudice and bulletins of violence have
managed to outlive every National Education Policy, every Education Sector Reform
Action Plan, every Policy Review Team and every White Paper. ... Is our Ministry of
Education preparing young Pakistanis for death or for life?
“The 30-year government-sponsored experiment to produce moral and patriotic Pakistanis through primary and secondary school curricula has failed. What the curricula has produced is at least three generations of Pakistanis intoxicated on literature of hatred that of bigotry, bias, militancy, animosity, sectarianism, dogmatism and
fanaticism. Government-prescribed primary and secondary curricula has produced
not much else but closet jihadis by the millions; a network that supports and sustains
mainstream performing jihadis.”18
II.
Marvi Sirmed
“Those who are acting surprised on how Saad Aziz19 suddenly emerged from the
so-called ‘modern’ educational institutions, are conveniently forgetting how systematically all kinds of educational institutions have been the recipients of continued ideological doses since 1980s. … It’s the same ideology that ended up making
Dr. Munawwar Hassan, the head of long favoured Jama’at-e-Islami, say radical things
against Pakistan Army. It’s the same ideology that is at play when religious organisations gathered thousands against the military government when the latter took action
against Lal Masjid, a mosque cum den of militants as it proved in 2007 when armed
resistance was offered by its inmates against Pakistan Army. It is at play when former army generals, leaders of religious parties, members of banned outfits and even
proclaimed offenders get together and form a Difa-e-Pakistan Council (the defence of
Pakistan council) that calls out all those the state considers its enemies, whenever the
need be.”
“It is at play when no inclusive thought is allowed in academic curricula. ... Media,
18
pp14-.17, ibid.
19
The accused/alleged IBA-educated killer of Sabeen Mahmud, the renowned activist, fearless
human rights defender, 25 April 2015
75
the pulpit of the mosque, the seat of learning in the madrassa, the lecture theatres in
colleges and universities, the political alliances created for the sole purpose of ‘Difa-e-Pakistan’ all become weapons of mass instruction.”20
III.
Zubair Torwali21
“Whether curriculum needs to be in line with the cognitive needs and interests of children or if it should be based on geopolitical and ideological wrangling is a question
that has not been resolved in Pakistan yet. With such an immensely polarised society,
the popular discourse never allows any consideration of the country’s religious, cultural and linguistic diversity. Education in Pakistan is sandwiched between the political ideologies of political parties, pressure groups and extremist outfits.”
“A study of education policymaking in Pakistan clearly shows that it has always favoured the ‘religious extreme right’ … The provinces can now legislate on education,
and decide the ‘content’ ... deep political and ideological connotations, these issues
have taken over other problems in quality, access and budget allocation in education
sector. For instance, curriculum in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa becomes a hot topic but lack
of access for girls to education ... never becomes news.”
“The former government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa led by the ANP, initiated a somewhat inclusive policy. ... But [post]-2013 elections ... the PTI-led government
announced a new education policy. It abandoned the initiative by the previous government.”
“As for curriculum content ... Pakistani students ... have been taught distorted
history, biased science, half-true social studies with boring and repetitive Pakistan
Studies. Even the languages – Urdu and English – are taught through textbooks full of
lessons on religion. Every government in Pakistan has tried to infuse what the ruling
party or individuals like General Ziaul Haq held dear, irrespective of its relevance in
the contemporary world. ... Today we have a large number of people swathed in
extremism, bigotry, and conservatism as a result of Zia and his legacy. Any reforms in
the curriculum are rejected in a second by dubbing them as an international conspiracy against Pakistan and the ‘Ummah’.”
“The Jamaat-e-Islami, although a junior coalition partner in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,
20
Marvi Sirmed, “Weapons of Mass Instruction”, The Nation, 9 June 2015
21
It is a coincidence that the noted writer and educationist from Idara-Baraye-Taleem-o-Taraqi
(IBT), in Bahrain, Kalaam, Swat (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Zubair Torwali’s chilling article was published
on 15 December 2014, just one day before the brutal terrorist attack on the Army Public School in
Peshawar, which took the lives of over 150 students, teachers and the brave Principal, who died trying
to save them. Brief excerpts are quoted here.
Please also see highlighted sections of civil society and human rights defenders’ statement released at a
candlelight vigil to honour the memory of the APS Peshawar atrocity, to mark the 6-month anniversary,
16 June 2015, in Islamabad (text at Annexure 2)
76
has virtually forced its big partner, the PTI which seems confused unfortunately, to
concede to purging the province’s curriculum of ‘objectionable’ contents. They want
to re-incorporate ‘jihadi teachings’ in the curriculum, which will nourish extremism
further rather than stemming it in the province. The provincial head of the JI rationalises the change in these words: “Our homeland is under threat. It is being droned by
American forces, and we have to defend ourselves against the Americans. In these
circumstances, is teaching our youth the ideology of jihad a sin?” (‘Education Reforms
in Pakistan’, International Crisis Group, June 2014). While the language in which students are taught matters, what is taught in school is even more important if intolerance and extremism are to be challenged.”22
Analysis and Comments
There is unanimous consensus in all three extracts from the writings quoted above,
that nothing has really changed in the minds of the political parties, governments, policy makers and legislators regarding education, even after the APS/Peshawar atrocity,
which has been called “the 9/11 of Pakistan”, i.e. supposedly, a huge turning point, especially regarding the need for a brand new counter-narrative to the existing “jihadi”
narrative, and pointing to the urgent need for a new provincial or national curriculum
and textbooks.
It is equally true that the Pakistani militant-extremist-jihadis (i.e the nexus of pro-Taliban/al-Qaeda/Daaish terrorists), the militant Sunni-sectarian terrorist groups and
the pro-Saudi-Salafi-Wahabi religious lobby in Pakistan exercises disproportionate
influence and pressure over the legislatures, governments and the civil-military establishment, in stark contrast to its actual, negligible voting support among the Pakistani public and consequently its numerically small presence in Parliament, which
retains a consistent record throughout Pakistan’s history.
Nevertheless, it has a huge nuisance value. Adding to its captive, instantly-mobilized
“force” in the tens of thousands of mosques and madrassas across Pakistan, it deliberately fosters the fearful perception of a “formidable political adversary”, often
playing a “king-maker/breaker” role in fragile coalition governments, no matter how
“progressive” or “moderate” or even “secular” [sic] they may wish to call themselves.23
Previous PEAD study (2012)
In the new format of the time-series comparative study such as the present one, it is
valuable to quote from previous studies, since they serve as baselines or benchmarks
for the current review.
22
Zubair Torwali, “The Language of Knowledge”, The News, 15 December 2014
23
This has actually happened in successive tenures of the progressive Pakistan People’s Party (in
coalition with the “secular” ANP), and the centre-right Pakistan Muslim League (N)-led coalition governments, with recorded instances both inside and outside Parliament.
77
In this context, the following brief summary of the findings of a previous similar review by the head of PEAD, Sameena Imtiaz, is instructive:24
“In 2010-2011, the PEAD carried out a textbooks analysis for the province of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa. ... The analysis yielded … findings by identifying those aspects of the
official textbooks which are potentially divisive, misleading, and prone to abuse by
those learning them. There were … generalized findings which hold true for all levels
and four subject textbooks. These are:
zzGlorification of War: … textbooks of Islamic studies students are familiarized
with the concept of Jihad where it has been explained as a “legitimate tool” to
promote and enforce Islam. … Verses from chapters of the Holy Quran directly
pertaining to war and violence have been selected without properly contextualizing them. By leaving out reasons behind Quranic references which call
for confrontation with the non-believers, the students are made to rely solely
on the interpretation of their teachers instead of critically analyzing the situation for themselves. … the aspect of thematic plurality and diversity is missing
from the curriculum.
zz‘Otherization’ or Stereotyping of Non-Muslims: The content in the textbooks discourages critical thinking by giving rise to a sense of self-righteousness among Muslim students while making students belonging to minority
group feel socially excluded. Since the content of textbooks, regardless of subject, especially Urdu, … is predominantly Islamic, this is results in discrimination against the children belonging to minorities. The textbooks impart missionary zeal to children studying these books where non-Muslims are viewed
with pity at best and scorn at worst for prescribing to other faiths. Hindus and
Jews are especially targets of such faith based stereotyping. Jews have been
termed as ‘conspirators’; separation of Bangladesh has been blamed upon
the ‘enemies of Islam’; Hindus have been accused for enslaving Muslims of
the subcontinent and for Muslim massacre during Indo-Pak partition. Such
oversimplification and erroneous interpretation of historical facts promotes
inherent bias and hatred among young minds.
zzUni-Dimensionality of Reality: The textbooks usually contain one-sided
narrative on historical references which results in narrow world view. The
7th Grade Social Studies book declares Muslim communities living in different
countries and regions of the world as “religiously, socially and culturally one
and same because of Islam”. This is a sweeping statement which negates the
diversity within the Islamic world.
zzStereotyping women: In all the textbooks there are very few instances where
24
2012
pp.2-4, “Need For Change (Curriculum Review Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)”, Sameena Imtiaz, PEAD,
78
women are appreciated and even when they are it is for their acts of valiance
in the battlefield. Moreover, the women mentioned in the textbooks are usually of historical importance. Recent examples of women who have earned
repute for themselves after significantly contributing to different walks of
life have been given a miss. The textbooks also do not acknowledge the role
played by women outside of their domestic domain and are stereotyped as
playing supportive and subservient roles in family.
“Despite these shortfalls in the content of public school textbooks, there have also
been a few positive outcomes of the curriculum reform process. Textbooks of Social
studies/Pakistan studies and English appear to be less biased and more balanced.
The historical narration in these books encourages children to take a more analytical
approach.”25
Comment
The evidence shows that not much has changed for the better in the years since the
above-cited PEAD study, which recorded the few positive changes made by the previous ANP government (whose tenure was completed in March 2013).
In fact, since the Jamaat-e-Islami’s joining the PTI government as a coalition partner
in mid-2013, the textbooks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have taken a turn for the worse,
in terms of progressive content, as is clearly demonstrated in the TBs comparative
review in the previous chapter.
The concept of war as “jihad” is reinserted, as a “fundamental pillar and a positive, desirable Islamic goal”, without the nuanced and clarified approach required to explain
to young, impressionable minds, the difference between waging war as a defensive or
offensive mechanism.
There is no explanation of “jihad” being used as a politically, ideologically and geographically expansionist goal, such as that of modern militant non-state actors, including the Taliban, al-Qaeda, and now, Daaish (aka ISIS, ISIL or IS), and their Pakistani offshoots, aiming to take over the State, and using the emotive word “jihad” as a
recruitment tool for child soldiers and even educated female and male youth.
It is irrelevant as to which political party was or is in power. All children in the public
sector education system all across Pakistan (including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) are today suffering the consequences of:
• lack of political will and commitment to adhere to the Constitution (Article
25-A), or to the binding UN CRC, or to achieve the endorsed EFA and UPE
goals;
25
p.4, ibid.
79
• lack of the requisite financial allocations for the education sector;
• lack of motivated, committed, trained and skilled humanpower in public sector education, especially teachers and administrators at the primary education level;
• lack of policy makers’ vision, will, courage - to reform and rectify the curriculum;
• lack of effective curriculum reform beyond the 2006 version, is hampering
textbook reform and rectification towards progressive pluralism;
• lack of enlightened, progressive, human rights-based thinking among the existing pool of public sector textbook conceptualizers, writers, illustrators, reviewers;
• lack of policy and planning for internal or external review, monitoring, evaluation or assessment of public sector textbooks – both content and teaching
methods;
• apathy and disinterest in public sector education, since the children of neither
policy makers, nor legislators, nor administrators are attending public sector schools, or becoming public sector school teachers, heads or supervisors;
thus, they do not see or know anything about the curriculum and textbooks
being taught to the vast majority of Pakistan’s enrolled children, who are considered fortunate to be in school at all26.
***********************
26
As compared to the 25 million eligible children who are not in school - see “25 million Broken
Promises: The Crisis of Pakistan’s Out-of-school Children”, Alif Ailaan, 2014
80
The Review Findings vis-à-vis the Specific Review Objectives
The following is an abbreviated summary description of the Findings documented in
detail in the previous section above.
1. To review the identified textbooks of the KPTBB, grades I-X, in order to identify areas where change or reform is required in the public sector textbooks
As the findings demonstrate, there are several areas requiring both changes and reforms in the public sector textbooks as well as in the curriculum, for the one cannot
be undertaken without the other.
This inextricable nexus, between the public sector curriculum (irrespective of national or provincial) and the corresponding government schools’ textbooks, has been discussed in detail in the preceding chapters.
These areas include, but are not limited to the following:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
viii.
ix.
x.
xi.
xii.
Religious instruction: content and process
Teaching of Ethics and Civics Education
Depiction of religious minorities
Depiction of women
Narration of political history
Portrayal of culture, heritage and traditions
Need for Peace Education; interfaith respect and harmony
Need to teach Human Rights – concepts of equality and justice
Need to foster a Spirit of Inquiry
Need for tolerance of peaceful debate and discussion
Respect for dissent and difference; inculcating pluralism
Need for an open milieu, by ending stifling, fear-inspiring uni-dimensionality
2. To look for covert implications which affect the students’ vision of others
and of the world
The review found more overt than covert instances of prejudice and discrimination.
The covert nature of implications was in the use of language denoting denigration,
81
disrespect and intolerance, especially of religious minorities, and of women’s emancipation.
And it was also implicit in the omission of women and minorities from mainstream
discourse in almost all sectors and subjects.
3. To look for elements which teach, promote or violate basic human rights
and peaceful co-existence, especially the rights of women and religious minorities
As stated in # 2 above, the human rights of women and religious minorities are violated both by exclusion as well as by derogation. Specific instances are noted and
recorded in the Findings section above.
For instance, regarding the perception of women, the textbook of the NWFP TBB
(2002-07), Social Studies, class 8: “A woman makes a home and in this way a happy
and civilized society springs up” (p.62).
Also, the textbook of Social Studies, class 8 (NWFP TBB, 2002-07): chapter 7: there is
a clear bias against the Christian religious minority under the British Raj, especially
the section titled: “The Propagation of Christianity” (pp.93-94).
This clearly falls into the category of absence of state protection of, and non-compliance with, the fundamental rights and principles of policy enshrined in the 1973
Constitution.
4. To assess the degree of political and ideological reflection of each successive
government in the textbooks of that time span
The review shows that there has been a clear reflection of each successive government’s political and religious ideology in both the curriculum and the textbooks produced in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Please refer to the detailed discussion in section # 8
below.
5. To assess the type and level of changes made in each government’s tenure
The changes were not too drastic or noticeable until the advent of the ANP government in 2008. The ANP is a self-professed “secular” party, so it started an attempt to
tinker around the edges of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa textbooks, as the curriculum was
not devolved until 2011, one year after the enactment of the 18th CA in 2010.
However, there was a political backlash from the religio-political parties active in KP
(e.g. the JI and the JUI/F), and a terrorist backlash from the TTP, contributing to an
end to any further planned changes in textbooks and curricula.
In fact, the ANP government attempted to make peace with the TTP by enacting the
82
Shariah Nizam-e-Adl Regulation in 2009, but it proved to be unsuccessful and was
followed by the military operation in Malakand (summer 2009). The subsequent violent fallout, targeting, inter alia, the ANP workers and leaders, educationists, schools,
had an impact and affected further changes planned in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa textbooks or curricula.
The PTI+JI government’s changes in the curriculum are recorded in the Findings section of this study. Just one illustration will suffice here. This has recently been inserted into the textbook of Social Studies, class 5 (KP TBB, 2013-to date). Chapter 7:
section titled “Values” is overly biased towards the superiority of the majority religion
as a value system to be inculcated in students aged 10, in addition to the compulsory
Islamiyat courses of religious studies for Muslim students: “the Islamic faith…respect
for the Quran and Arabic language” (p.118) and “the simplicity of Muslim women”
(p.118) vs. “its absence in foreign women” (p.120).
6. To assess what kind of content has been added or deleted by each government
Please see the Tables in the section titled FINDINGS above for the details. Some of
the findings were surprising and counter-intuitive, e.g. please see the comparison (or
rather, the 100% lack of change) in the Social Studies textbook of Class 8 between the
MMA-led NWFP TBB (2002-07) and the subsequent KP TBB under 2 governments.
In fact, in many cases, along with the biased content, the factual errors found in the
NWFP TBB’s textbooks have also been faithfully reproduced verbatim in the subsequent KP TBB’s textbooks.
7. To assess the hidden negative or positive aspects of politically-oriented
changes in textbooks
There is nothing hidden or covert about the politically-oriented changes in the public
sector textbooks in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Please refer to the detailed discussion in
section # 8 below.
However, the fact that the content of the textbook changes made in the recent past
demonstrates the political orientation of the successive governments, may turn out to
be a positive factor in the advocacy efforts of organizations like the PEAD Foundation
and others. The argument would focus on the basic needs of CHILDREN, not of successive political parties and their governments and administrations.
School textbooks need to be non-partisan politically, and should only focus on universal values, principles, ideals and human rights, in addition to the specific content of
the subject being taught.
83
8. To assess whether the textbooks include peace education or promote/glorify war
There was an attempt made by the ANP government (2008-13) to incorporate components about the life and vision of its founder, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (aka Baacha
Khan), including his philosophy of peace and non-violence, as well as a few pacifist
Sufi saints, into some of the textbooks, but this proved to be temporary and unsustainable following the 2013 elections.
Notwithstanding its election manifesto promises, in 2013 the newly-elected Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government of PTI knuckled under the political compromise imperatives and the emotive religious pressure of the JI, its junior coalition partner.
The JI has again succeeded in reinserting regressive content, i.e. overtly jihadist, anti-women and anti-non-Muslim citizens – into some of the textbooks. But there is
deliberate confusion being publicly spread by the PTI and JI political spin-doctors on
the media, as to these recent changes in the public school textbooks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, after the elections of 2013.
The abrupt and overt about-face of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Text Book Board (KP
TBB)’s reviewed TBs between the ANP and PTI+JI governments speaks for itself,
wherever the dates of publication were cited.
As to the glorification of war, it is all around us, not just found in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa public school textbooks. Even most of the documentary films and video
songs conceptualized, visualized, written and produced by the Inter-Services Public
Relations (ISPR) of the armed forces, glorify war rather than peace, especially in the
post-APS/Peshawar phase of counter-terrorism and the NAP.
For example, the video song widely telecast and broadcast as an ISPR paid advertisement, in June 2015, on the occasion of the completion of one year of the military Operation Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan (FATA) against the TTP and their allies, ought
to be classified as a PG/R video, and children should be prevented from watching it. Far from inculcating feelings of patriotism and peace, it glorifies war and violence,
irrespective of the raison d’être of the military operation.
There are many Pakistanis (especially civil society peace activists) who courageously
spoke up against the so-called “peace talks with the TTP” (sic) and in favour of military operations against them (which is not portrayed either on the electronic media
nor by the Government/s, nor by the armed forces ISPR). Still, that fact does not justify the glorification of war and military might in the popular print, electronic and
social media, especially in the impressionable minds of children and youth.
In contrast, the popular video song produced and widely telecast, on both the mainstream and the social media, shortly after the TTP attack on the Army Public School
84
in Peshawar on 16th December 2014, was sensitive and touching. While inculcating
in children an abhorrence of violence, it did not seek to glorify war and killing, but on
the contrary, the song and its sensitive visualization promoted peace, unity, courage
and resilience.27
9. To assess whether the textbooks promote critical thinking
Unfortunately, the textbooks under review do not promote critical thinking at all, either in the students, or in the teachers and their teaching methods, especially in the
key subjects under review.
On the contrary, they inculcate memorization, rote-learning and regurgitation of the
lessons verbatim from the textbooks. There are known instances of students being
marked down or even failed for daring to stray from the exact wording of the lessons
and chapters in the official textbooks. It is also a widely known and accepted fact that extra-curricular reading or research
is neither promoted, nor rewarded, nor encouraged, nor provided.
10. To identify and provide recommendations for the improvement of textbooks
vis-à-vis the promotion of a just and sustainable peace, equality and human
rights
The issues and constraints found in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa public sector textbooks
have been comprehensively identified and analyzed above, while the detailed recommendations are provided in the next section.
The recommendations are disaggregated into two main parts – those addressed specifically to the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the main body of the other
recommendations. The others are broader in scope and vision. They are equally applicable to the GoKP also.
The recommendations pertain not only to the textbooks, but also to the curricula of
the public school system.
This inevitably also raises pertinent questions about the entire concept and practice
of devolution and provincial autonomy. It is not within the scope or the mandate of
the present study to debate this aspect, but the following maxim is relevant here and
needs to be quoted again: “We must not throw the baby out with the bathwater” in the
name of devolution.
Thus, the following recommendations on Education are situated within the larger
context of provincial legislation and policy-making, curriculum-setting and textbook
writing, in an era of post-18th CA provincial autonomy and devolution of power.
27
Post-16Dec.2014 APS/Peshawar popular video song: Urdu lyrics: “BarRa dushman bana phirta hai jo bacchon say larRta hai …. Jo bacchon say dDarta hai…”
85
Recommandations
Recommendations for Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
1. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly urgently needs to enact the provincial
Free and Compulsory Education Act 2015, as it is now the only province without such a law.
2. The review shows that, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, there has been a clear reflection
of each successive government’s own political and religious ideology in changing
the education policies, education sector plans, plans of action, curricula and textbooks produced in the province. This is in contrast to the pre-existing National
Curriculum (2006), which the GoKP has not overtly announced as being cancelled,
or not in use in the province.
3. This is not the most optimal or professional way of handling the education of
Pakistani children, no matter which ethnicity or province or gender or religion
or sect they belong to. When/if they travel abroad for higher studies, they are
pre-tested, evaluated, and admitted (or not) on the merit criteria of standardized
educational knowledge and attainment, and only as Pakistanis, not as Pakhtuns,
Baloch, Seraiki, Sindhi, Punjabi, Balti, etc. We must not play partisan politics with
the future of our children.
4. The Education Sector Plan (ESP) of the Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education (2010-2015), Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was launched in
July 2012, just 7 months before the completion of the ANP’s tenure. It was a more
progressive and forward-looking Plan, which, if it had been implemented as intended, could have made a substantial difference in both the provincial curricula
and textbooks.
5. The ESP acknowledges that the new National Textbooks and Learning Materials
Policy and Plan of Action (2007) “were developed and notified by the Federal Government in consultation with all provinces. ... Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has adopted
this new textbook policy.”28
6. Further, the ESP contains a sub-section titled: “Embracing diversity”, which states,
inter alia: “In allowing the provinces complete autonomy in terms of policy development, the 18th Amendment has provided an opportunity to embrace far greater
diversity in what the provinces can do than even before. This extends to the curriculum ... Now the provinces are at liberty to embrace diversity, by reviewing
and renewing both the curriculum and the medium of instruction to make them
more relevant and support (rather than hinder) the encouragement of learning.”29
28
29
pp. 47-48, ESP/Dept. of Elementary & secondary Education, Govt. of KP (July 2012)
p. 48, ibid.
86
7. However, the fact remains that the ESP was developed by a Committee set up by
the-then ANP Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, comprising 24 people, with
the following disaggregation:
GoKP officials: 17 (all men, no women, no non-Muslim Pakistanis)
GIZ/Germany & DFID/UK consultants:30 7 (all men)
Thus, of the 24-member Committee, there was not a single woman, nor any Pakistani non-Muslim citizens as members. Any future revisions or reviews of curricula and textbooks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa need to rectify these omissions.
8. The ESP (2012) identified the following (amongst others) as issues and constraints, which are of relevance to the present study:
“The system of producing textbooks and educational material in Pakistan
is very outdated ... This very important sector is facing a number of problems:
i. Lack of capacity at TBB and DCTE (Directorate of Curriculum & Teacher
Education) to manage curricula and textbooks development.
ii. Instructional Material Development (IMD).Cell at PITE (Provincial Institute of Teacher Education) is not fully developed or utilized.
iii. Non-involvement of subject teachers in preparing textbooks or curricula.
iv. No effective quality control by government on textbook development and
printing.
v. ECE (Early Childhood Education) is not treated as a priority since it lacks
funds, textbooks, guide-books, trained teachers and expertise.
vi. Teacher guides and learning material developed so far are not used by
teachers.
vii. [Lack of] periodic review of training modules based on impact assessment.
viii.[Lack of] learning assessment review and reforms in syllabus.”31
9. The ESP has identified a number of strategies to overcome the above-cited issues. The current Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government needs to take urgent action to ad30
GIZ: an international NGO, providing funding and technical assistance to the GoKP for the ESP
DFID/UK: the development assistance arm of the UK government
31
ESP (op.cit.) pp.49-50.
87
dress the identified problems through the listed measures (p.50), along with the
required financial resources and a re-ordering of inter- and intra-sectoral budgets.
10. Finally, it is to be commended that the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recognizes its own challenges and constraints in the Education sector. There is a
need, under the new Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Plan of Action (2013-2016) to start
taking action on the Government’s own recommended steps, inter alia:
i. “Law enactment and capacity for implementation of Article 25-A.
ii. Enhance capacity for Curriculum Development.
iii. National coordination – inter-provincial Education Ministers’ conference.
iv. Fate of National Education Policy (2009).
v. Need for Standards of Education.
vi. Enhancement of capacity building of KP TBB & DCTE.”32
Broader Recommendations Considered Essential in Light of
Findings
The Findings of this study regarding Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, are simply a microcosm
of the grim reality of the status of Education all over Pakistan. The situation of even
the revised – and relatively more progressive curriculum currently in use – and its
corresponding textbooks – gives reason for even greater concern.
No recommendations pertaining to changes in the public school textbooks would be
feasible without changes in the existing national curriculum, as it is the curriculum
which sets the direction in which textbooks are to be conceptualized, written and
illustrated.
In fact, it is the vision and ideology behind the public sector education policy and
thence the curriculum, which determines even the selection of authors of government
schools’ textbooks – whether from the public or private sector educational institutions or academia.
It has once again been demonstrated by this study that the education policy, vision
and ideology would appear to have been carved in stone during and beyond the retrogressive Zia era of the 1980s – and carried on to the present.
The few attempts to tinker with even small components of the Pakistan Studies and
32
ibid. p. 117
88
Social Studies textbooks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the ANP Government tenure
(2008-13) have proved to be non-sustainable and impermanent as is clearly evident
from the tables in the Findings section of this study.
The reviewed textbooks did not and still do not promote the spirit of inquiry and
critical thinking, either in the students, or in the teachers and their teaching methods,
especially in the selected subjects under review.
In view of the above, it becomes clear that one general set of recommendations would
not suffice to rectify all the ills solidified by over three and a half decades of deliberate
acts of omission and commission.
It has also emerged that if the present recommendations were to be addressed only
to the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (GoKP), they would not suffice. Despite
the 18th CA and the much-trumpeted devolution of, inter alia, the Education sector
completely to the provinces, there is still an important coordinating role to be played
by the federal Government (GoP), and a collective responsibility to be shared between
the GoP and all the federating units, including the GoKP.
Therefore, the recommendations below are divided into sections and sub-sections, as
required by the findings of the textbooks reviewed. They include recommendations
for both curricula and textbooks reform.
i.
Academy for Education Planning and Management (AEPAM)
11. The federal Academy for Education Planning and Management (AEPAM) is tasked
to act as the Secretariat of the Federal Coordination Unit for the inter-provincial
Education Ministers annual conferences. It could also be tasked to house the secretariat of the recommended Reforms Committee on Curricula and Text Books
(RCCTB). It would need to coordinate between the federal and provincial Education entities, as well as those described above.
I.
Recommendations for Government of Pakistan
12. Coordination Role of GoP: without stepping on the toes of provincial autonomy,
the GoP needs to ensure that the required reviews and reforms of curricula and
textbooks are done in a concerted, cooperative and collaborative manner, with the
participation of education specialists in the private and NGO sectors. To achieve
this, the GoP will need to play a coordinating role, for which entities already exist,
e.g. the Academy for Education Planning and Management (AEPAM).
13. National Education Policy Reform: this is an urgent imperative, even before
curriculum and TBs reform. Once the federal Government undertakes a review
and reform of the National Education Policy, then it can offer to help the provinces
in undertaking similar exercises – both with funds and technical assistance.
89
The provincial Education Departments (DoEs) need to be invited to this as a national level exercise, as well as private/NGO/non-profit sector experts, educationists, academicians, practitioners, activists, researchers, authors, and important
stakeholders representing the concerns of women and religious minorities.
14. Curriculum and Textbooks Review and Reform:
There is an urgent need for the GoP to:
1) Establish a Reforms Committee on Curricula and Text Books (RCCTB), to
review the 2006 NC and the 2009 NEP, with a view to render them more
progressive, inclusive and pluralist and to ensure that the next curriculum
provides standard guidelines to remove the kinds of biases this study has
identified in the textbooks of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; which other researchers have researched and identified in the other provinces too.
2) Convene a series of federal and provincial consultations, starting and ending at the national level, to carry out an in depth review of the various
kinds of curricula (and syllabi) and textbooks currently in use in the public sector – in both federal and provincial government schools.
3) All the provincial Education Departments (DoEs) need to be invited to the
national and all provincial exercises, as well as the private and non-profit
education sector technical experts, educationists, academicians, practitioners, women and minority rights activists, researchers, textbook writers, illustrators and publishers.
4) The terms of reference (ToRs) of the RCCTB would include the harmonization and standardization of the Pakistani public sector curricula and textbooks across the federal and provincial DoEs; and to ensure the removal
of all hate materials, stereotypes, disrespect, intolerance, prejudice and
bias as well as acts of omission; and replacing them with positive content.
5) The RCCTB would also play an inter-provincial coordination role towards
uniformity in teaching, learning outcomes, testing, assessment, monitoring, evaluation and reporting.
6) One of the objectives would be the national and international recognition
of the standard and quality of public sector primary and secondary school
curricula and textbooks, and their inter-province/country equivalence.
15. Along with the existing provincial Curriculum Wings in the provinces, establishing a federal level curriculum entity would make it easier to carry out:
§comparative provincial and national level education monitoring and evaluation;
90
§international level reporting on progress towards UN EFA/UPE goals, as
well as the forthcoming new (and more nuanced than the MDGs) education goals of the SDGs;
§consistency in the assessment of learning outcomes and achievements
if there were a standard curriculum and an equivalency of public sector
textbooks across the provinces and at the federal level;
§ongoing research on teachers’ and students’ views on women, minori-
ties, religions, sects, races, ethnicities, cultures, people with disabilities
(PWDs), to: (a) assess if there are any remnants of hate, bias/prejudice or
stereotypes remaining; and (b) undertake course corrections if required.
II.
Hence, the following recommendations merit urgent attention and action.
Recommendations for GoKP’s and other provinces’ Curriculum
Wings
16. We need to be proud of our country, of its geography and history, and of our origins being South Asian races, civilizations and cultures, without feeling the need
to acquire foreign veneers, whether western or Arabian or middle eastern. We
need to inculcate this pride in our children too. Therefore, this needs to become
the centrepiece and the most special niche in our reformed curricula for History
and Pakistan Studies.
17. There is no need to be apologetic about our past or ashamed of our present. If
we are confident of ourselves, we will be able to teach our children the truth and
there will be no need to hide or distort our history.
18. Thus, there will be no further need to blame the creation of Bangladesh [aka
“the separation of East Pakistan”] solely on India and the Hindu population of
then-East-Pakistan. Our children need to know this too.
19. Our children need to learn that Hindus are not Pakistan’s first, last and everlasting
enemies, not least because Hindus are Pakistani citizens too. Likewise, Pakistani
Ahmadis, Bahais, Buddhists, Christians, Jews, Kalaash, Parsis, Sikhs, atheists, agnostics, and others too are equal citizens of Pakistan under the Constitution.
20. Our children need to be taught to be respectful towards Ahmadis, no matter how
vicious the ongoing attacks against them on television or in real life in Pakistan.
Pakistan belongs to all who choose to live here as citizens, and no one is superior
or inferior. All citizens are equal under the Constitution and the law, and deserve
equal respect, dignity, protection and security, irrespective of belief and worship.
91
21. Inculcating critical thinking, spirit of inquiry, research and fact-finding, should be
the underlying theme of all curricula and all textbooks in all subjects taught in the
public schools from age 5 to 16.
22. These concepts need to be agreed to in the curricula before they can be conceptualized, written and illustrated through the TBs.
23. The curriculum taught in Pakistani public schools, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, comprises out-dated, exclusionary, missionary zeal-driven, superiority-complexed, uni-dimensional, biased ideology-driven content.
24. This reinforces biases, discrimination, negative stereotypes, and is also a factor in
inciting hatred and violence towards minorities and other vulnerable segments.
25. The teaching of this curriculum, and the corresponding school textbooks, as well
as the teachers’ training manuals, all combine to eradicate the spirit of inquiry
and critical thinking, speaking and debating faculties in children.
26. Despite (or because of) the strong culture of violence all around our children,
as seen in films, cartoons, on the news and entertainment media, in coverage of
terrorist activities, and in counter-terrorism operations, there is a need for the
inculcation of positive views of an environment of peace and the glorification of
non-violence.
27. As the study findings demonstrate, there are several areas requiring both changes
and reforms in the public sector textbooks as well as in the curricula, for the one
cannot be undertaken without the other.
These areas are:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
Religious instruction: content and process
Depiction of minorities (or their omission)
Depiction of women (or their omission)
Portrayal of history
Portrayal of culture and “tradition”
Peace education; interfaith respect and harmony
Human rights – concepts of equality and justice
Spirit of inquiry, critical thinking and speaking out – capacity-building
Tolerance of and promotion of peaceful debate and discussion
92
10)
Respect for dissent and difference; upholding the dignity of all
28. The review found more overt than covert instances of prejudice and discrimination.
29. The covert nature of implications was in the use of language towards disrespect
and intolerance.
30. And the covert nature was also implicit in the omission of women and minorities
from mainstream discourse largely found in the TBs of almost all sectors and subjects.
31. PEAD’s earlier study and analysis33 yielded many interesting findings by identifying those aspects of the official textbooks which are potentially divisive, misleading, and prone to abuse by those learning them. The present study endorses,
supplements and complements many of them as described below.
III.
Recommendations for Writing Government Teachers’ Training Curricula Modules and Manuals
32. No amount of reforms in the public school curricula and textbooks will be successful in their stated aims and objectives until and unless a similar exercise is
carried out in the corresponding pedagogical teaching and learning curricula and
guidance/ supporting materials prepared for the public school teachers.
33. It is strongly recommended that teachers’ training (TT) curricula and materials
reforms be added to the ToRs of the proposed RCCTB at both federal and provincial levels – for ALL grades, from I through X in the public sector TT institutions.
IV.
Recommendations for Government Text Book Boards and Writers
34. School textbooks must necessarily be politically non-partisan and non-ideological. They should focus only on universally acknowledged, verifiable facts, values,
principles and ideals of peace, equality, diversity, pluralism, respect and love for
all.
Recommended Content of Text Books – by subject and theme
Islamic Studies and Religious Instruction
35. All the TBBs (including the KP TBB) and the DoEs themselves need to comprehend the major issues and concepts before hiring or firing TB writers, illustrators
and reviewers.
36. Since Islamic Studies is currently a compulsory subject for Muslim students, there
33
Sameena Imtiaz, PEAD, op. cit. 2012
93
is an imperative to teach Islam as a religion of peace and love and mercy. Also,
that there appears to be a majoritarian consensus (barring the Salafi, Wahabi, etc.
interpretations) among highly respected Muslim scholars that Islam is not meant
to be “enforced” by compulsion34, rather, it enjoins the VOLUNTARY acceptance
of faith and belief. It does not seek to “conquer the world”35, nor does it seek to
forcibly convert the non-Muslims to Islam, no matter what their faith (or none).
37. The need for war should be taught only as a defensive need, and only as a last
resort. Children need to be taught that Islam is fundamentally a religion of peace;
that Islam respects all religions and all human beings, without concepts of superiority and inferiority, for which there are quotes available in the Quran and
Sunnah.
38. Each of the Islamic Studies TBs of Grades 4-10 need to include the following Islamic texts, with non-bigoted and non-sectarian interpretations or explanations
– none are required at all, in fact:
• the Holy Prophet (pbuh)’s Farewell Sermon;
• the Peace Treaty of Hudaybiya;
• the Treaty with Najran Christians;
• the passages in the Quran enjoining respect for all religions, e.g.
Surah Kafiroon.36
39. There is an urgent need to paint a broader global canvas, moving away from parochial superiority, conceit, and a “uni-dimensionality of reality”37, e.g. Islamic Studies (Grade 3) TBs must not teach children that “the whole world was steeped in
darkness of ignorance when Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was born, thus negating
the contribution of Greek philosophers like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle”38 and
the entire body of Bahai, Buddhist, Confucian, Hindu, Judeo-Christian, Sikh, Zoroastrian, and other theological, spiritual, doctrinal and philosophical knowledge
and teachings.
40. There is a need to keep away from sweeping generalizations and untrue statements like: “Muslim communities living in different countries and regions of the
world are religiously, socially and culturally one and same because of Islam.”39
This negates the cultural diversity within the Muslim societies around the world.
34
35
36
37
38
39
Compulsory “nifaaz” (enforcement) vs. voluntary adoption and acceptance
Regularly supplicated after prayers by the clergy, and translated as “ghalba” over non-Muslims
And also the famous Quranic verse: “la ikraha fid-deen” (there is no compulsion in religion)
op. cit. Sameena Imtiaz, Review of TBs in KP, 2012
ibid.
Social Studies textbook (Grade 7)
94
Social Studies and Pakistan Studies: Non-Muslim Minorities of Pakistan, Pluralism and Diversity
41. Social Studies and Pakistan Studies TBs need to foster religious and socio-cultural
pluralism and diversity. We need to teach children about our great non-Muslim
heroes and eminent personalities, e.g. Supreme Court judges: Justice A.R. Cornelius, Justice Dorab Patel and Justice Rana Bhagwan Das, along with Pakistan’s
first Nobel Laureate: Dr. Abdus Salaam; and the 1965 War Hero, Gp. Capt. Cecil
Chaudhry, amongst many many other non-Muslim Pakistani luminaries.
42. We need to be very proud of our second Nobel Laureate too: Malala Yusufzai –
she and Aitezaz Hassan Bangash Shaheed need to be honoured much more than
Pakistan has done so far, including inclusion in our revised textbooks of Pakistan
Studies.
43. Our children need to be taught to be proud of Pakistan’s long history of South
Asian and Indus civilization and culture. So the TBs of Pakistan Studies should urgently delete statements such as: “Pakistan was ‘created’ on the very day that Muhammad bin Qasim stepped ashore on the coast of Sindh” (sic), thereby removing
the implication that Pakistan’s identity is SOLELY Muslim and blatantly war-mongering, and negating 9,000 years of our civilization too.
44. Our recommended new TBs need to start Pakistan Studies for all Grades with our
earliest recorded history of almost 10,000 years old in the Mehergarh (Balochistan) civilization, moving on to Mohenjo-Daro, Harrappa, Takshila, Takht Bhai,
Kalaash, and all the preserved indigenous civilizations of the northern and western mountain ranges (in Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and FATA).
45. The new TBs need to avoid “discouraging critical thinking by giving rise to a sense
of self-righteousness among Muslim students while making students belonging to
minority group(s) feel socially excluded”40.
Social Studies and Pakistan Studies: Peace and Respect for All
Glorification of peace:
46. In order to build a peace-loving society, there is a need to remove the glorification
of war and violence, war stories and war heroes from all TBs, in all subjects, except Pakistan Studies, where one chapter on our national war heroes should be
inserted. This should also include the names and exploits of famous non-Muslim
heroes, e.g. Gp.Capt. Cecil Chaudhry, and others.
47. In Islamic Studies TBs, there is a need to remove the current war-only conceptualization and translation of the term “Jihad” in religious textbooks of all grades.
40
Sameena Imtiaz, PEAD TBs review, op.cit.
95
There is also a need to remove “war stories and war heroes, and scenes from battlefield [which] have been explained with undue elaboration”41 Children cannot
distinguish one type of violence from another, and empirical psychological research confirms this.42
48. In Islamic Studies, for Grades 9 and 10, the concept of Jihad could perhaps be introduced briefly – but only in its holistic interpretation, i.e., the twin concepts of
the “bigger” and “lesser” jihads, and the important religious significance of waging war by the pen (i.e. the intellect), rather than by the sword (read: guns and
bombs); and the repeated Islamic injunctions to wage war against one’s own inner desires and demons.
Inculcation of respect
49. For all grades, there is a need to introduce the terms and concepts of peace, patience, tolerance43, acceptance, respect and love for all fellow human beings, irrespective of nationality, religion, sect, gender, ethnicity, language, race, rural/
urban location, class or caste background. For instance, the TBs for Urdu, English
and Social Studies should include texts and reading materials from eminent peace
educators like Funkor’s Fauzia Minallah44 and Idara Baraye Taaleem-o-Taraqi’s
Zubair Torwali45, amongst others.
Social Studies and Pakistan Studies: Portrayal of Women
50. KP/TBs of Social Studies and Pakistan Studies need to teach children about the
great women in our history and in the present era, but not just by glorification of
war, e.g. Queen Razia Sultana, but also the glorification of women’s bravery and
courage in speaking truth to power, e.g. Bibi Zainab’s famous speech to Yazeed,
following the Karbala massacre needs to be taught in the Islamic Studies TBs of
Grades 8-10.
51. We need to teach our children not just about the pampered spouses of the Mughal
kings (e.g. of Taj Mahal fame), but also about great women in their own right,
in our past and recent history, e.g. Draupadi, Shakuntala, Shudha Mazumdar, Bi
Amma, Iqbalunnisa Hussain, Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, Begum Waheed Jahan
Abdullah, Sultan Jahan Begum, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, Basanti Devi, Urmila Devi,
41
Ibid.
42
It is a bit like saying “Good Taliban vs. Bad Taliban”, when children see on the electronic media
that all good armies and bad militants/militias comprising Muslims use the same battle cry: “Allah-o-Akbar” (“God is Great”), even for un-Islamic abhorrent decapitations of kidnapped hostages, by the Taliban,
Daaish and others, filmed live and widely disseminated via the internet and some of the mainstream
media.
43
To be translated into Urdu as: “ehteraam”, “ravadaari” and “tahhammul” - not “bardaasht”
44
e.g. “Sadako’s Prayer”, bilingually written & illustrated for children by Fauzia Minallah, translated into several Pakistani languages
45
vide Bibliography for a list of Zubair Torwali’s publications
96
Bina Das, Sarojini Naidu, Fatima Jinnah, Fatima Sughra, Raana Liaqat Ali Khan,
Daulat Hidayatullah, Nusrat Abdullah Haroon, Salma Tassaduq Hussain, Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah, Jahan Ara Shahnawaz, Syeda Qanita Begum, Asghari
Manzur Qadir, Begum Waheed, Mahmooda Saleem Khan, Zari Sarfaraz Khan, Sahibzadi Mahmooda Begum, Prof. Anita Ghulamali, Dr. Fatima Shah, Tahira Mazhar
Ali Khan, amongst a host of other luminaries.
52. Under our Constitution, women and girls are equal Pakistani citizens, just as men
and boys are. This fact needs to permeate throughout the curricula and TBs, including TB illustrations, teachers training manuals and A/V teaching aids. Hence,
TBs must no longer show pictures of son Ahmad in uniform, going to school with
his father, while daughter Gulnaz is shown staying at home, helping her mother
with domestic chores and sibling-care. The new imperatives and ground realities
of Pakistan are different now, and our TBs need to change too, along with our own
mindsets.
Urdu Text Books
53. The Urdu TBs unnecessarily duplicate Islamic Studies which overshadow the already-sparse literary content. There is a crying need for Urdu TBs to actually
teach Urdu literature, and there is also a need to bring in references to South Asian
literature (in translation)46 and our proud heritage of illustrious civilizations.
54. Islamic history and religion need to be removed from Urdu TBs, which is duplication and triplication – and is not their proper place. Instead, Urdu TBs need to
revert back to their original purpose: the teaching of Urdu language and literature
to Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
55. This needs to start in Grade 1 with easy poems, like Allama Iqbal’s poems for
children from the Bang-e-Dara collection, e.g. “lab pay aati hai dua”, “parinda aur
jugnu”, “shama-o-parwana”, “gaaye aur bakri”, and moving on to more difficult
concepts, e.g. “maan ka khawaab”, “aql-o-dil”, etc. Eventually they need to teach
senior secondary classes about global humanist egalitarian values, justice and
ethics through poetry, e.g. “uttho meri dunya kay ghareebon ko jaga do” and “hum
dekhein gay”.
56. Other poets and writers need to be introduced too, e.g. Mir, Haali, Ghalib, Josh,
Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Habib Jalib, Malala Maiwand, Torpekai, Zainab Ghilzai, Kishwar
Naheed, Zaitoon Bano, Ishrat Aafreen, Zehra Nigah, Fahmida Riaz, Shabnam Shakeel, Shamim Ikram-ul-Haq, Najiba Arif, Attiya Dawood, Amar Sindhu, and a host
of others.
46
e.g. Pakhtun poets and writers like Malala Maiwand, Sur Sanda, Shamo Jan, Sahibo Aajeza,
Wabjana, Torpekai, Rabia Kharoti, Bala Nesta, Bajaurai, Alif Jan Khattaka, Zarghoona, Bibi Nek Bakhta, Nautia Khattaka, Haleema Khattak, Zainab Ghilzai, Misri Khanum, Zaitoon Bano, Salma Shaheen and
many others
97
57. Similarly, the Urdu TBs need to include the famous essays and articles by the great
writers in the Urdu language, especially the progressive pieces by writers of the
past two centuries, who were of different religions and ethnicities. It is not necessary to be either a Muslim or from an Urdu-speaking ethnic/linguistic background, e.g. Gopi Chand Narang is not a Muslim, and Allama Iqbal, Faiz Ahmad
Faiz, Habib Jalib, Zaitoon Bano, Ahmad Faraz, Shabnam Shakeel, Attiya Dawood,
Amar Sindhu, and many others writing in Urdu and in all other Pakistani languages were/are not ethnic Urdu-speakers. Translations are now found in abundance.
V.
Recommendations for Private Sector Schools, Writers, Illustrators,
Publishers and Printers of Text Books
58. There is a need for academic textbook writers47 and illustrators48 to offer to share
their existing materials and expertise with the federal and provincial governments, particularly with the proposed Reforms Committee on Curriculum and
Text Books (RCCTB) and to work with them.
59. It is in the RCCTB’s own enlightened interest to avail the services of these and
many more experts, who are both progressive and have expertise as well as experience.
VI.
Recommendations for Private Sector Writers, Illustrators, Publishers and Printers of Children’s non-Academic Books
60. There is a need for the GoKP’s DoE to work together in cooperation with poets
and authors like Kishwar Naheed49, and children’s books writers and peace educators like Fauzia Minallah50, Rumana Husain51 and Zubair Torwali52 to produce
additional books and audio-visual materials that can also be used in schools to
inculcate a peace ethos vs. the current war (read “distorted jihadist view”) ideology-driven TBs.
61. It is imperative that more and more publishers should commission and print cheap
and widely available non-academic books and audio-visual (a/v) learning materials
for children aged 2-16. Such materials need to be progressive, non-jihadi, non-ideology-driven books and a/v materials, aimed at inculcating respect for diversity
and dissent, humanist and pluralist values, respect and love for humanity.
47
e.g. Zubair Torwali, Rumana Hussain, Fauzia Minallah, Fahmida Riaz, Nigar Nazar, et al.
48
.e.g. Fauzia Minallah, op.cit. & Nigar Nazar, op.cit.
49
Renowned poet, with several anti-Taliban poems, the most famous being: “woh jo bachiyon say
bhee darr gaye”
50
Eminent peace educator, author, film maker, artist, cartoonist, creator of the Amayi peace bird
for children: http://www.funkorchildart.com/
51
Renowned author of children’s books, see:
https://www.pinterest.com/rumanahusain/books-authored-or-illustrated-by-me/
52
renowned educator, columnist, author and head of education NGO, Idara Baraye Taaleem-o-Taraqi (IBT), Kalaam, Bahrain, Swat (KP) www.ibtswat.org
98
VII.
Recommendations for Researchers, Academia and Non-Government
Sector Educationists
62. Under the USA/CIA-sponsored Afghan “jihad” of the 1980s in Afghanistan, not
just Afghan but also Pakistan’s history books, from primary to higher secondary
level, have introduced an entirely distorted version of the creation of Pakistan,
stating that “its genesis was created when Muhammad Bin Qasim invaded India”,
or “when the first Hindu was converted to Islam”. All these distortions are now
part of our “official” history. Once we rectify our basic South Asian history narrative, then we can start to solve our other narrative problems in Pakistan too.
63. But since this is also true of biases in the Indian history text books, thus the re-writing and correction of the South Asian continent’s history narrative will require a
concerted and joint effort. A unilateral approach will not serve the purpose. The
Pakistani extremist and jihadist elements wishing to retain the biases in Pakistani
TBs would gleefully pounce on the counter-narrative from India or Bangladesh.
64. A start was made by three internationally renowned historians: Prof. Mubarik
Ali (Pakistan), Prof. Uma Chakravarty (India) and Prof. Romila Thapar (India)53,
along with other peace activists in a private, non-government initiative, but for
wider and sustained efforts, it is important for the Governments to be on board
too, preferably through regional platforms such as SAARC.
65. Academicians and researchers need to continue to monitor the data and reports
coming from the governments. In case the reports the governments send to the
UN CRC, the UN HRC, and reports in response to the EFA/UPE and MDGs/SDGs are
inaccurate or misleading, it is incumbent upon civil society, NGO/CSO experts in
education to write Shadow or Alternate reports, as has just recently been done in
rebuttal of the GoP’s periodic report on the UN CRC.54
VIII.
Recommendations for Civil Society Activists, NGOs and CBOs
66. It is recommended that the NGOs, CBOs and CSOs working in education, need to
share their curricula, textbooks, teachers’ training, additional learning materials
and co-curricular activities with the governments, in order to convince them to:
• replicate their success stories;
• scale up their best practices, especially in curriculum and textbooks reform;
• learn from their experiences (lessons learned);
53
54
• avoid unnecessary overlap and duplication of services.
See Bibliography
See Shadow Report on UN CRC by Dr. Asha Bedar & Zehra Kamal, op. cit. 2015
99
67. Rather than adopt a confrontational stance, the federal and provincial governments need to work in cooperation with the non-profit/non-government/voluntary sector – and not just in education, but in other sectors too.
68. In terms of scarce financial resources, especially for curriculum and textbooks
reform, it would be mutually beneficial for governments, civil society and the private sector to work together in collaborative public-private partnership.
69. The civil society needs to continue its traditional monitoring watchdog role over
the governments’ performance – or the lack thereof.
IX.
Recommendations for Parents and Communities
70. In line with the devolution and decentralization, there is a need to bring monitoring and supervision of the public sector schools to the communities and parents.
The most effective way of doing this is through:
• Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) in each school;
• School Management Committees (SMCs) in each Union and Village Council.
71. The newly-elected Local Governments need to take on these responsibilities too.
X.
Recommendations for the Media
72. In line with the longstanding recommendations of children’s rights organizations,
and of children’s media conferences55 and the Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting56, there is a need for both public and private sector
Pakistani media channels to produce and air good quality programmes for children on radio, television and the social media.
This is required to counter the hate-filled, religio-political, violent extremist, jihadi, sectarian onslaught, especially through the social media. The content could
be taken from the proposed new curricula and textbooks described above.
73. There is a need for the Pakistani print, electronic and social media to promote
child protection, children’s rights and needs, especially the particular needs of the
girl child, children living with disabilities, and children in difficult circumstances,
e.g. orphans, street children, beggars, child bonded labour, trafficked and sexually
abused and exploited children (paedophilia and pornography).
74. There is a need to inculcate civic, social and human values in children, through not
only school textbooks, but also the media.
55
e.g. the Children’s Media Conference (December 2014)
56
Senate Standing Committee on Information, Broadcasting & Media - meeting March 2014,
Islamabad
100
75. The print and electronic media need to stop portraying explicit violence, e.g. programmes depicting the re-enactment of gender-based violent crimes and in “entertainment” programmes.
76. The electronic and social media need to actively promote the rule of law and love
for peace through portrayal of a hatred for the display and use of weapons and
private militias by anyone other than the LEAs and armed forces; as well as a love
of nature and the environment, water, flora and fauna, and an abhorrence of hunting animals for sport (e.g. houbara bustards, partridges, leopards, bears, etc.).
77. The print and electronic public and private media need to supplement the proposed new education curricula and textbooks for children, by removing their own
stereotyped, negative, biased portrayals of girls and women57, religious, ethnic
and sectarian minorities, persons with disabilities, rural people, people in poverty, and disadvantaged groups in society.
78. The media need to (a) recognize children as people with human rights, especially
the right to a voice, inclusion and participation, as well as the right to dissent and
debate; (b) to inculcate acceptance of and respect for difference, diversity and
pluralism; and (c) to promote in children the spirit of inquiry.
***********************
57
See “Who’s Telling Our Story? A Situation Analysis of Women in Media in Pakistan” by Tahira
Abdullah for Uks, 2013
101
Conclusion
“There is an urgent need to start revising public school curricula and textbooks, especially those pertaining to religious instruction, history, social studies and Pakistan
studies. We need to teach our children to respect people of all faiths – and even those
of none. In fact, we need to teach our children not just tolerance, but love for all.”58
We need to seriously confront the current situation of terrorism, extremism and sectarianism, with an estimated 65,000 plus Pakistanis having lost their lives to terrorist
attacks. The counter-terrorism measures enunciated over the past decade, and reiterated in the 20-point National Action Plan (NAP), have yet to show concrete results.59
Curriculum and textbooks reform is an important element of the NAP, yet it has been
put on the back burner by all the governments, except the Government of Sindh.
The NAP was a consensus document agreed upon by all the political parties, the federal and provincial governments, and the military leadership, in the traumatic aftermath of the TTP’s heinous attack on the Army Public School (APS) Peshawar on 16th
December 2014.
There is yet to emerge, among the senior most political leadership, across all political parties, the demonstrable, sincere political will and genuine commitment, which
should go beyond mere lip-service and rhetoric, if the objectives of the NAP are to be
achieved.
For instance, a few religio-political parties or groups, along with their affiliated charity organizations and NGOs are permitted by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government
to operate freely in the camps of the North Waziristan/FATA IDPs in western KP districts, but national NGOs are not, and they require complicated NOCs, permits or exemptions, which are arbitrarily given or withheld.
Further, while katchi abadi schools have been demolished along with a number of
Islamabad’s slums, yet, despite court orders, the Government of Pakistan (Interior
Ministry and CDA) has not yet evicted or demolished an illegal madrassa (on forcibly
occupied land) in the federal capital Islamabad.60 Likewise, the FIRs and Arrest Warrants of Islamabad’s Red Mosque cleric have gone into cold storage since December
2014, allegedly on the orders of the federal Interior Minister, as reported by the relevant police station SHO.
The Punjab provincial government and its leadership, demonstrably had, and is al58
Excerpt from article: “Licence to Kill?”, Newsline, December 2014
59
See Annexure 2: civil society statement on the 6-month anniversary of the TTP attack on the
APS/Peshawar on 16 December 2014
60
Dawn report: http://www.dawn.com/news/1190130/wary-of-backlash-cda-reluctant-to-razeillegal-seminary
102
leged to still maintain, electoral-based political links with jihadi, sectarian and extremist groups operating from both southern and central districts of Punjab.
Very little news is permitted to trickle out of Balochistan, ostensibly for reasons of
“security”.
The above is just a small illustration of the lack of will and commitment to implement
the NAP even-handedly across the board, without exception.
Other than the steps taken in this direction by the Government of Sindh, we have yet
to see moves by the federal GoP or the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, or the
other provinces, towards education curriculum reform and positive, progressive textbook changes.
In fact, on the contrary, we have already seen retrogressive moves in the public sector
textbooks of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by the PTI-JI coalition government after the elections of 2013.
It will only be after the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Government of
Pakistan decide to take action upon the large number of comprehensive recommendations in the present study, that Pakistan can start to take one of the NAP’s 20 steps
needed to defeat militant extremism, terrorism, and sectarianism, and to stand tall as
a peace-loving, self-respecting member of the world community.
According to the NCJP: “… the powers at the helm have yet to realize that our survival
as a nation at this point in time and respectable living in the days to come, is largely
dependent on our ability to remove all motivations for hatred against anyone. The
urgency is there, though it is not felt by the quarters that finally decide. Considering a
growing consciousness against widespread violence in the society, a convenient time
for the ‘art of possible’ has already arrived and ideas need to be put to practice. A
concrete action on the part of the state agencies for reforms will receive a welcome fit
for heroes. Nevertheless, heroism is born out of conviction and ability to dispense the
duties that signs of the time bring.”61
As a member of the United Nations, Pakistan is obligated and bound to adhere to the
UN Charter and to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which states,
inter alia:
61
62
“Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality
and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all
nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United
Nations for the maintenance of peace.”62
Peter Jacob et al, Preface, “Education vs. Fanatic Literacy”, published by NCJP, 2013
UDHR 1948, Article 26. See also, UNCRC Art.29 and ICESCR Art. 13.
103
In addition, Pakistan has also ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
(CRC) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), which expand and go way beyond the above-cited Article of the UDHR on Education, both as a human right and as a fundamental duty of the State, as the pre-requisite
for peace.
The law-makers, policy-makers, and decision-makers in Pakistan now need to learn
how to win peace; how to respect the rights of all citizens, in order to be respected;
how to uphold their Constitutional oaths, since the Constitution is a social contract
between the citizens and the State, of which they are the representatives and the implementors.
Our vision of a self-respecting, pluralist, egalitarian, just and peaceful Pakistan, at
peace with itself, at peace with all its neighbours, and at peace with the world, depends, above all, upon achieving our goals in Education.
Changing our education policies, our public school curricula and reforming our textbooks, along with our teachers’ training curriculum content – all these actions are at
the heart of the above goals.
They are attainable goals, and we pledge to continue our advocacy efforts towards
achieving them. This report is just one more attempt at a fresh start along the rocky
road.
***********************
104
Biblography
AA (Alif Ailaan):
i.
ii.
Annual Reports: “Pakistan District Education Rankings”
“25 Million Broken Promises: The Crisis of Pakistan’s Out-of-School Children”, 2014
Abdullah, Tahira:
• Report on evaluation of Northern Areas Education Programme (NAEP) learning outcomes and gender issues in Government schools in NAs (now Gilgit-Baltistan), GoP/NAs & BC/NAEP, 2003
• Annual reports on Incorporation of Population Education and Development
components in national curriculum, for UNFPA/UNESCO/GoP-MoE project,
1995-2000
• “Who’s Telling Our Story? A Situation Analysis of Women in Media in Pakistan”, Uks, 2013
• “Licence to Kill?”, Newsline, December 2014
• “What did the MDGs mean for Pakistani women? And now the SDGs?” for Uks
annual diary 2015
• “Feel Karbala” {HYPERLINK http://www.thefridaytimes.com/tft/feel-karbala/}, 30 October 2015
Ali, Saleem H., “Islam and Education: Conflict and Conformity in Pakistan’s Madrassahs”, OUP, 2009
Ali, Syed Muhammad:
• “Another Approach to Madrassa Reforms in Pakistan”, Policy Brief, Jinnah Institute, 2012
• “Devolution and its Impact on the Education Sector” chapter in “Devolution:
Provincial Autonomy and the 18th Amendment”, Jinnah Institute, 2014
Amra Alam, “Haray Kachway”; Book Group
AGHS Legal Aid Cell (Child Rights Unit): {HYPERLINK http://aghscru.org.pk/}
• “Bacchon ko Baccha hee Rehnay Dein” (Let Children Remain Children), nd
• Newsletters: {HYPERLINK http://aghscru.org.pk/?p=139}
• Publications & posters: {HYPERLINK http://aghscru.org.pk/?cat=4 }
105
APISF (Peshawar), “Silence of the Birds” (poetry in Pashto with English translations),
2010
APISF (Islamabad), “Pakistan NGO Alternative Report on CEDAW”, AF, 2012
Awan, Zia Ahmad:
•
{HYPERLINK
https://interactkarsaz.wordpress.com/2012/07/01/the-head-of-the-madadgaar-institution-mr-zia-awan-on-juvenile-delinquency-in-pakistan-2009/}
Aziz, K.K.:
• “The Making of Pakistan”, Sang-e-Meel, 1966
• “The Murder of History: a critique of history textbooks used in Pakistan”, Vanguard, 1993
Aziz, Naheed & Tahira Abdullah (co-authors), chapter titled: “Education and Training” in “Suggestions on Women’s Empowerment for Election Manifestos of Political
Parties”, APISF, 2012
Aziz, Naheed, (sections on education): “A Gender-Based Critique of 2008 Election
Manifestos of Key Political Parties”, APISF, 2008
Bashir, Romana, head of Peace & Development Foundation (PGF) & consultant to
Commission for Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue (PCID)
{HYPERLINK
https://globalchristianvoice.wordpress.com/2012/11/24/pakistani-woman-in-thefront-line-to-defend-the-rights-of-minorities-romana-bashir/}
Bedar, Asha & Zehra Kamal (co-authors), Alternate/Shadow Report re. Pakistan’s report on progress ref. UN Child Rights Convention (CRC), Rozan, CRM, et al, 2015
Book Group: illustrated stories and publications for children:
{HYPERLINK
http://www.bookgroup.org.pk/title_books.php?cid=1&crt=&sb=&pp=20&product_
Brand_Id=&cur_page=7}
CIRF (US Commission on International Religious Freedom), ICRD (International Center for Religion & Diplomacy) & SDPI, “Connecting the Dots: Education and Religious
Discrimination in Pakistan: A Study of Public Schools and Madrassas”, CIRF, 2011
CLF (Children’s Literature Festival) & TLF (Teachers Literature Festival) via ITA:
{HYPERLINK http://childrensliteraturefestival.com/portfolio/clf-islamabad-2015/}
{HYPERLINK http://childrensliteraturefestival.com/portfolio/clf-islamabad-2015-programme/}
Panel: “Curriculum of Peace or Hate?” Panelists: Aamir Riaz, Baela Raza Jamil, Peter
Jacob, Sameena Imtiaz, Tahira Abdullah
106
CRC, UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (aka Child Rights Convention), 1990
CRM (Child Rights Movement), illustrated for children text of CRC: the UN Convention
on the Rights of the Child, nd
Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973 (including the 18th CA [2010] &
ff.)
Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), “Future Agenda for Change: The Relationship Between Islam and the West”, report of Roundtable at CII, 3 February 2009
CRSS (Centre for Research & Security Studies), “Curriculum of Hate”, 2008, Islamabad
Dawn: {HYPERLINK http://www.dawn.com/news/1190130/wary-of-backlash-cda-reluctant-toraze-illegal-seminary}
Dean, Bernadette Louise (academician, author, researcher, curriculum and teachers’
education specialist; member (inter alia) General Assembly of the International Association for the Advancement of Curriculum Studies):
•
•
•
{HYPERLINK https://www.google.com.pk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv
=2&ie=UTF-8#q=professor%20Bernadette%20Dean}
{HYPERLINK https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernadette_Louise_Dean}
{HYPERLINK http://www.dawn.com/news/1181357}
DOSTI-YAN, AGEHI-SACHET Resource Centre & Plan/Pk, “Adolescents and Education
in Pakistan: Is the connection reflected in policy, programs and practices?” AGEHI-SACHET, 2013
Education sections of Election Manifestos of the following political parties:
ANP, AWP, BNP, JI, JUI(F), MQM, NP, PKMAP, PML(F), PML(N), PML(Q), PPP, PTI
FIDH: www.fidh.com & HRCP: “Aqliyatein Hamlon ki Zadd Mein: Pakistan Mein Aqeeday ki Bunyad par Imtiazi Sulook aur Tashaddud”, 2015
Fun Kor Child Art Centre:
{HYPERLINK http://www.funkorchildart.com/index.php}
Peace through books:
• For children: {HYPERLINK http://www.funkorchildart.com/BooksForChildren.php}
• For youth and adults: {HYPERLINK http://www.funkorchildart.com/Books_for_Adults.
php}
• Helping Children in Crisis (N.Waziristan IDPs): {HYPERLINK http://funkorchildart.
blogspot.com/}
107
• Amai Park: {HYPERLINK http://www.funkorchildart.com/AmaiPark.php}
• Peace through Art: {HYPERLINK http://www.funkorchildart.com/Peace_Through_Art.
php}
Government of Pakistan
1. ICT Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2012
2. National Human Rights Commission Act (30 May 2012):
a. {HYPERLINK
pdf}
http://www.na.gov.pk/uploads/documents/1342437418_845.
3. National Book Foundation (NBF), annual National Book Day Celebrations –
publications for children: www.nbf.org.pk
4. “Pakistan Millennium Development Goals Report 2013”, GoP, Planning Commission of Pakistan, 2013
5. “A Summary: Pakistan Millennium Development Goals Report 2013”, GoP,
Planning Commission, 2013
6. Periodic reports to the UN Committee on Child Rights Convention (CRC)
7. National Action Plan (NAP, post-16 December 2014 massacre at Army Public
School, Peshawar)
GoP: former Ministry of Education now Ministry of Education & Professional Training:
1. “National Curriculum (2006)” (a) overall; (b) by subject by class;
2. “National Education Policy”, Ministry of Education, Govt. of Pakistan, 2009
3. “National Plan of Action” (for Children) (2006)
4. “National Curriculum for Pakistan Studies Grades IX-X - 2006”, GoP, federal
Ministry of Education, Islamabad, 2006
5. “Pakistan Education Statistics 2013-14”, AEPAM, 2015
6. Inputs to periodic reports to the UN Committee on CRC
GoP Ministry of Finance:
1. {HYPERLINK http://www.finance.gov.pk/budget/budget_speech_english_2015_16.pdf}
2. Education: chapter11: {HYPERLINK http://www.finance.gov.pk/survey/chapters_15/10_
Education.pdf}
3. {HYPERLINK http://www.finance.gov.pk/survey_1415.html - statistical appendices}
108
Government of Balochistan
Balochistan Free and Compulsory Education Act 2014
Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
1. “Right to Free and Compulsory Education Bill 2011” (was not enacted and
lapsed under the previous ANP government; and is not yet enacted by the incoming PTI+JI coalition government since mid-2013)
2. “Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Plan of Action (2013-16): Achieving Universal Primary Education in Pakistan – Acceleration of Education-Related MDGs”, Dept. of
Education, GoKP, undated (contains budget/expenditures of FY2011-12; and
projected expenditures of FY2012-13 and beyond)
3. ESP/Dept. of Elementary & Secondary Education, Govt. of KP (July 2012)
4. Education Sector Plan (ESP) of the Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education (2010-2015), Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was launched
in July 2012,
5. National Textbooks and Learning Materials Policy and Plan of Action (2007)
Government of Punjab
Punjab Free and Compulsory Education Act 2014
Government of Sindh
Sindh Compulsory and Free Education Act 2013
Hasan Aly, Javed & NEP Review Team, “Education in Pakistan: a White Paper to Debate
and Finalize the National Education Policy” (revised document), GoP, Feb.2007
Hisam, Zeenat & Yasmin Qureshi, “Religious Minorities in Pakistan: Constitutional
Rights and Access to Judicial System: A Study of Socio-Legal Constraints”, PILER, 2013
HRCP (Human Rights Commission of Pakistan): http://hrcp-web.org/
{HYPERLINK http://hrcp-web.org/hrcpweb/hrcp-publications/:}
• annual reports: “The State of Human Rights” (SoHR) [vide respective chapters
on Children and Education]:
•
•
•
{HYPERLINK http://hrcp-web.org/hrcpweb/data/ar14c/6-1%20Education%20-%202014.
pdf}
{HYPERLINK
pdf}
{HYPERLINK
http://hrcp-web.org/hrcpweb/data/ar14c/5-2%20Children%20-%202014.
http://hrcp-web.org/publication/book/enhancing-religious-understand-
109
ing-and-promoting-tolerance-in-education/}
• “Takseeri Iqdaar kay Firogh kay liye Insaani Huqooq ki Taaleem” (Human
Rights Education to Promote Pluralist Values), 2014
• Education sections in “Pakistan’s Universal Periodic Review: A Look Back at
our Promises – Civil Society Mid-Term Assessment Report” 2015
• “Adeeb, Fankaar aur Insaani Huqooq”, 2013
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
{HYPERLINK http://hrcp-web.org/publication/book/budgeting-for-rights/}
{HYPERLINK http://hrcp-web.org/hrcpweb/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Access_to_justice_for_religious.gif}
{HYPERLINK
jpg}
http://hrcp-web.org/hrcpweb/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Life-at-risk.
{HYPERLINK http://hrcp-web.org/publication/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/perlis.gif}
{HYPERLINK http://hrcp-web.org/hrcpweb/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/1-100162.jpg}
{ HYPERLINK http://hrcp-web.org/hrcpweb/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/110004500010.jpg}
{HYPERLINK http://hrcp-web.org/hrcpweb/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Intahapasandi.
pdf}
Hussain, Rumana:
{HYPERLINK
https://www.google.com.pk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=
UTF-8#q=rumana%20hussain}
• illustrated books for children in Urdu & English, e.g. “Pakistan”; “Bijli”, “Taana
Baana”; “Khushiyon ka Aangan” (with Sami Mustafa); etc.; Book Group
• comic books for children and youth on notable personalities, e.g. Dr. Akhtar
Hameed Khan, Raana Liaqat Ali Khan, Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Abdus Sattar Edhi,
ICG (International Crisis Group ), “Education Reforms in Pakistan”, 2014
IISS (Irtiqa Institute of Social Sciences): {HYPERLINK http://www.irtiqa-iss.org/}
“Taaleem mein zabaan ka kirdar aur muaashiray par uskay asaraat”, Zubeida Mustafa,
13th Hamza Alavi Distinguished lecture, IISS, 2015
Ilm-IDEAS, “Strengthening Education Delivery in Pakistan”, national education conference presentations, Islamabad, 6 August 2015
Imtiaz, Sameena, “Need for Change! (Curriculum Review Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)”,
PEAD, Islamabad, 2012
110
Inderyas, Ayra, “Ethics in Education”, 2011
ITA (Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi): {HYPERLINK http://www.itacec.org/}
• annual reports: “Annual Status of Education Report (ASER)” with SAFED
(South Asian Forum for Education Development)
• e-newsletters: {HYPERLINK http://www.itacec.org/document/newsletters}
• Campaign: “Right to Education Pakistan Article 25-A”: various publications,
petitions and events: {HYPERLINK http://rtepakistan.org/upforschool-petitions/}
• National Education Policy consultations:
{HYPERLINK http://www.itacec.org/nep_declarations.php?pgid=3}
• World Teachers Day: {HYPERLINK http://www.itacec.org/wtd_2015.php}
• “Status of Teachers in Pakistan – 2013” (with UNESCO)
•
{HYPERLINK
http://aserpakistan.org/document/learning_resources/2015/SDGS_UNAssembly/Education_Priorities_for_the_Post_2015_Summit.pdf}
• “Right to Education: the Impact of Parents’ Literacy on Children’s Education
and Learning” (by Ayesha Bilal), ITA policy brief, 2013
• “The Education Youth Ambassador Programme Pakistan”, RTE brochure, nd
• South Asian statement on Rights of the Child:
{HYPERLINK
php}
http://safedafed.org/JointUNICEF_CSO_Statement_on_Rights_of_the_Child-
Jacob, Peter et al (Eds.), “A Report on the Religious Minorities in Pakistan”, NCJP, Human Rights Monitor, 2012
Jacob, Peter et al, “Education or Harvesting Hatred?” NCJP, 2012
Jacob, Peter & Nabila F. Bhatti (eds.), “Education vs. Fanatic Literacy: A Study on the
Hate Content in the Textbooks in Punjab and Sindh Provinces”, NCJP [Urdu: 2012;
English: 2013]
Jacob, Peter (Ed.), “Liberation from Suffocating Education”, NCJP & AHI, Urdu version,
2015
Jacob, Peter, “Compliance of the June 19, 2014 Judgement of Supreme Court of Pakistan: An Assessment”, study for PEAD, 2015:
{HYPERLINK
http://www.pead.org.pk/2015/08/comparative-study-on-compliance-with-supreme-court-judgment-for-protection-of-minorities/}
111
Jamil, Baela Raza, “Human Development and Youth in the Context of Educational Public-Private Partnership in Pakistan”, for Jawan Pakistan, UNDP, 2015
{HYPERLINK http://www.itacec.org/document/2015/6/Baela-Jamil-Education-PPPs-NHDR-ThinkPiece-17Mar15-v2.pdf}
Jasam, Saima, “Pakistan: From Radicalism to Terrorism – A Historical Journey”, HBS,
2014
Madadgaar:
•
•
{HYPERLINK http://www.madadgaar.org/}
{HYPERLINK http://www.madadgaar.org/publication.html}
• “Human Rights Link”, annual newsletter
• “Connecting to Children and Young Women in Pakistan”, 2014
Malik, Nadeem, Position Paper: “Introducing Ethics as a Subject for Non-Muslims in
Balochistan Schools”, for REAT Network & CPD (Centre for Peace & Development), nd
Minallah, Fauzia (bilingual Urdu-English text and illustrations of children’s books):
{HYPERLINK
https://www.google.com.pk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=
UTF-8#q=fauzia%20Minallah}
• “Amai’s Wish” (2001)
• “Children of Light” (2004)
• “Love Pakistan – Protect the Environment” (2004)
• “Sadako’s Prayer” (English & Urdu), with translations in Darri (for Afghanistan); in Pashto by and in Torwali by Zubair Torwali (2006)
• “Amai and the Banyan Tree” (2012), OUP
• “Chitarkari & Banyans – The Pursuit of Identity”, Sungi, 2010
MTB-MLE (Mother-Tongue-Based Multi-Lingual Education):
•
•
{HYPERLINK
http://www.slideshare.net/sVcdALe/mother-tongue-based-of-multilingual-education-mtbmle}
{HYPERLINK http://www.slideshare.net/leonysky/mtb-ppt?related=2}
Mustafa, Sami, “Hawayee Jahaaz”; “Itnay Saaray Khargosh”; “Neeli Ghaas”; “Tony”;
etc.; Book Group [see Book Group above]
Mustafa, Zubeida (education specialist, author, editor, columnist, activist):
112
{HYPERLINK http://www.zubeidamustafa.com/}
•
•
•
{HYPERLINK http://www.zubeidamustafa.com/allocations-fail-to-match-verbal-commitments-to-social-sector}
{HYPERLINK http://www.zubeidamustafa.com/the-price-of-neglecting-social-sectors}
{HYPERLINK http://www.zubeidamustafa.com/gojra-and-education 2009}
• “The Continuing Biases in our Textbooks”, policy brief, Jinnah Institute, 2012
•
•
{HYPERLINK http://www.zubeidamustafa.com/the-role-of-language-in-education-and-itsimpact-on-society 2014}
{HYPERLINK http://www.zubeidamustafa.com/teacher-in-exile#more-3683 2015}
• Tyranny of Language in Education: The Problem and its Solution”, OUP, 2015
•
{HYPERLINK http://www.zubeidamustafa.com/over-to-urdish 2015}
• “Learning rom CLF”, 2015: {HYPERLINK http://www.zubeidamustafa.com/learningfrom-clf}
Naheed, Kishwar, poet, author, columnist, trainer, entrepreneur, children’s book author:
{HYPERLINK https://www.google.com.pk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF
-8#q=kishwar%20naheed}
• Books for Children, e.g. “Am I Small?”, “Proud Horse”, “Crooked Tree”, “Shair
aur Bakri”, etc.:
{HYPERLINK https://www.google.com.pk/search?q=Kishwar+Naheed+books+for+children}
• Poems for Children:
•
{HYPERLINK https://www.google.com.pk/search?q=kishwar+naheed+poems+for+children}
{HYPERLINK https://rekhta.org/poets/kishwar-naheed/kids}
Nazar, Nigar: {HYPERLINK https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigar_Nazar}
•
•
{HYPERLINK https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigar_Nazar#Publications}
{HYPERLINK http://www.gogicomics.com/}
• Gogi Books Series for Children (Agehi Comics with STEER)
• Changing mindsets through humour:
{HYPERLINK https://twitter.com/gogistudios1/status/639475470019391490}
113
NCJP (National Commission for Justice & Peace):
• “NGOs report on Human Rights situation in Pakistan for discussions in UN Human Rights Council under the Universal Periodic Review session May 2008”
(co-authors: Peter Jacob, Tahira Abdullah, Naeem Mirza et al), 2008
• “A Report on the Religious Minorities in Pakistan” 2011
NCSW (National Commission on the Status of Women): www.ncsw.gov.pk:
“Annual Report 2013: Securing Rights Promoting Equality”, nd
Paul, Anjum James (professor, author, head of PMTA: Pakistan Minority Teachers Association:
•
•
•
{HYPERLINK
html}
http://pmtapk.blogspot.com/p/reference-of-professor-anjum-james-paul.
{HYPERLINK
http://pmtapakistan.blogspot.com/2009/09/national-education-policy-2009-critique.html}
{HYPERLINK http://pmtapk.blogspot.com/p/interviews-of-professor-anjum-james.html}
PCE (Pakistan Coalition for Education), SAQE & IlmIDEAS, , “Legislation on Right to
Education in Pakistan: A Critical Review”, policy paper, PCE, 2015
PDF (Peace and Development Foundation, Rawalpindi), Charter of Demands for Minorities in Pakistan, 2013
PEAD:
• “First Steps Towards Peace” – teachers’ training manual on “Values Education”: {HYPERLINK http://www.pead.org.pk/mannuals/}
•
•
{HYPERLINK http://www.pead.org.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Press_170412.pdf}
{HYPERLINK
http://www.pead.org.pk/2015/08/media-forums-for-presenting-charter-of-demand-for-equal-political-participation-of-minority-women/}
PETF (Pakistan Education Task Force), “Education Emergency Pakistan”, March for
Education, 2011: www.educationemergency.com.pk;
PGGA (Pakistan Girl Guides Association), “Junior Guide”, PGGA & UNICEF, nd
REAT (Rights of Expression, Assembly, Association & Thought) Network:
www.reatnetwork.pk:
“We May Be Different But We Are All Equal”, national conference, 2015
Riaz, Aamir (editor, researcher, academic, historian):
114
{HYPERLINK http://independent.academia.edu/AamirRiazTOTO}
{HYPERLINK
Tongues}
http://www.academia.edu/10969771/Colonial_legacy_and_Pakistani_Mother_
• Research papers on textbooks in Punjab
Riaz, Fahmida, “PaiR ki Paheli” - Urdu illustrated storybook for children, OUP, 2011
Right to Play: www.righttoplay.com:
• Quarterly newsletters
•
{HYPERLINK http://www.righttoplay.com/moreinfo/aboutus/Documents/Governments%
20in%20Action.pdf}
• “Sport for Development and Peace in Action”, 2007
Rozan: {HYPERLINK http://www.rozan.org/}
• child protection: “It’s ‘My’ Body with Tinkoo and Tina”, nd
• “Life Skills Education in Schools”, brochure, nd
•
•
{HYPERLINK
abuse}
http://www.rozan.org/?q=article/help-break-silence-against-child-sexual-
{HYPERLINK http://www.rozan.org/?q=categories/rozan-publications}
• Helpline: {HYPERLINK http://www.rozan.org/?q=article/rozan-help-line}
• Newsletters
Sahil: www.sahil.org
• “Cruel Numbers” – annually published compilation of reported child sexual
abuse cases in Pakistan
• Quarterly bilingual Urdu-English newsletters
• “Sahil Working Against Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation” (bilingual)
Salim, Ahmad (researcher, author, archivist, focus on education policy, curriculum,
textbooks, minorities, pluralism, history)
•
•
•
“Messing Up the Past: Text Books of Pakistan 1947–2000”, Ford Foundation,
2003
“Tolerance”, a pilot project, University of Uppsala, Sweden, 2006
“Equal Citizens?” Friedrich Neumann Stiftung/Pakistan (FNS), 2006
115
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
“Role of Minorities in Nation Building with Focus on Karachi”, CWS, 2006
“Pluralism and Diversity in Asia: Protecting and Promoting the Rights of Religious Minorities through Education and Training”, Minority Rights Group International/UK, 2007
“State Accountability and Education rights of Minorities in Pakistan” (a
pre-roundtable background paper), IDRC, Canada, 2008
“Common Spiritual Heritage for Peace and Harmony”, Heinrich Boll Stiftung/
Pakistan (HBS), 2008
“Religious Fundamentalism and its Impact on Non-Muslims”, Christian Study
Centre, 2008
“Textbooks for Religious Studies (Ethics) Grade III to Grade XII” for National
Book Foundation, Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan
“Textbooks on Parliamentary Democracy (Grades V, VIII and X)” for SDPD
(UNDP)
“Development of 10 textbook modules for Non-Muslim Students in Pakistani
Schools”, Minority Rights Group/UK
Salim, Ahmad & Nayyar, A.H. (Eds.):
•
•
“The Subtle Subversion: the State of Curricula and Textbooks in Pakistan”,
SDPI, 2003
“Critical Issues in Education Policy: A Citizens’ Review of the National Education Policy 1998–2010”, SDPI & CEF, 2006
Shirkat Gah (compiled by Dr. Narmeen Hamid), chapter 11 titled: “Linking Secondary
Education with Better RH Outcomes” in “Rising to the Challenge: an analysis of the
implementation of MDG-5 in Pakistan”, 2012
Sirmed, Marvi, article: “Weapons of Mass Instruction”, The Nation, 9 June 2015
SPARC (Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child): www.sparcpk.org
• annual status of children reports: “The State of Pakistan’s Children” (SoPC):
{HYPERLINK http://www.sparcpk.org/SOPC.html}
• SPARC Annual Reports
• E-newsletters: {HYPERLINK http://www.sparcpk.org/NLs.html}
• Education: {HYPERLINK http://www.sparcpk.org/Education.html}
• Girls’ Education: {HYPERLINK http://www.sparcpk.org/Other-Publications/Girl-educa-
116
tion.pdf}
• Street Children: {HYPERLINK http://www.sparcpk.org/Other-Publications/streetchildren-bro.pdf}
• Child Protection: {HYPERLINK http://www.sparcpk.org/Other-Publications/CP-1.pdf}
• Child Advocacy Toolkit: {HYPERLINK http://www.sparcpk.org/Other-Publications/ATE.
pdf}
• Child Rights Clubs
SPDC (Social Policy and Development Centre):
• “Public Spending on Education and Health in Pakistan: a Dynamic Investigation through Gender Lens”, 2010
• “An Evaluation of the Federal Budget 2014-15”, 2014
Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) judgement re. Minorities, 19th June 2014:
{HYPERLINK http://www.supremecourt.gov.pk/web/user_files/File/smc_1_2014.pdf}
The News: “Revised Education Policy to be announced early next year”, 26 June 2015
Torwali, Zubair, Idara-Baraye-Taaleem-o-Taraqqi (IBT):
(educationist, author, columnist, activist based in Bahrain[Kalaam], Swat, KP):
{HYPERLINK
https://www.google.com.pk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=zubair%20torwali}
• article: “The Language of Knowledge”, The News, 15 December 2014
•
•
•
•
{HYPERLINK http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-9-290201-The-language-of-knowledge}
{HYPERLINK http://www.dawn.com/news/1088790/two-languages-two-classes}
{HYPERLINK http://www.dawn.com/news/812067/the-converted-fundamentalist}
{HYPERLINK http://www.dawn.com/news/764643/malala-the-world-and-pakistan-2}
{HYPERLINK http://www.dawn.com/news/665683/swat-dont-allow-the-past-a-comeback}
• “Muffled Voices: Longing for a Pluralist & Peaceful Pakistan”, Multiline publications, 2015
Uks Research, Resource & Publications Centre on Women & Media (Uks):
• “Gender-Sensitive Media: A Voluntary Code of Ethics” (revised edition), 2013
117
• Diary 2004: “Women of Pakistan: Empowerment through Education”, 2004
United Nations:
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC
CRC Committee, “Concluding Observations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the
Child on the Implementation of UN CRC 2009”, UN: GENERAL CRC/C/PAK/CO/3-4 2,
October 2009
UNESCO:
• “EFA (Education For All) Global Monitoring Report 2000-2015: Achievements
and Challenges”, 2015 (with Urdu Summary)
•
{HYPERLINK http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international-agenda/education-for-all/}
UDHR: Universal Declaration on Human Rights
UN ICESCR: International Covenant on Economic, Social & Cultural Rights
UN ICCPR: International Covenant on Civil & Political Rights
UN conferences (2001 & 2009): Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (2001)
and the follow-up Durban Review Conference (2009) against Racism, Xenophobia and
Intolerance:
{HYPERLINK http://www.un.org/en/letsfightracism/pdfs/United%20against%20Racism_English_
web.pdf}
Vankvani, Ramesh Kumar, MNA(PML/N), President Pakistan Hindu Council: “Removal
of hate free curriculum a remarkable victory of minorities”, PR, 12 March 2015
WWOP (Women Welfare Organization Poonch, AJK:
• “Voice for Making Education Inclusive in AJK”, 2015
• Policy Paper: “Inclusive Education Framework in AJK”, 2015
• Research Report: “Inclusiveness of Educational Services in AJK” for children
with disabilities (CWD), nd: non-dated publication or internet link
***********************
118
List of Text Books Reviewed
Urdu
1 Urdu for class I, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
2 Urdu for class I, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
3 Urdu for class II, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
4 Urdu for class III, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
5 Urdu for class III, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
6 Urdu for class III, Ummi Educational Service
7 Urdu for class IV, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
8 Urdu for class IV, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
9 Urdu for class V, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
10 Urdu for class VI, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
11 Urdu for class VI, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
12 Urdu for class VII, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
13 Urdu for class VII, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
14 Urdu for class VIII, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
15 Urdu for class VIII, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
16 Urdu for class IX, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
17 Urdu for class IX, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
18 Urdu for class X, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
Islamiyat
1 Deeniyat for class III, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
2 Islamiyat for class III, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
3 Islamiyat for class IV, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
119
4 Islamiyat for class IV, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
5 Islamiyat for class V, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
6 Islamiyat for class V, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
7 Islamiyat for class VI, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
8 Islamiyat for class VI, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
9 Islamiyat for class VIII, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
10 Islamiyat for class VIII, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
11 Islamiyat for class IX, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
12 Islamiyat (Elective) for class IX, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
13 Islamiyat (Elective) for class IX and X, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
General Knowledge
1 General Knowledge for class I, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
2 General Knowledge for class II, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
3 General Knowledge for class II, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
4 General Knowledge for class III, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
History
1 History for class VI, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
2 History for class VII, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
3 History for class VIII, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
Pakistan Studies
1 Pakistan Studies for class IV, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
2 Pakistan Studies for class IV, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
120
3 Pakistan Studies for class V, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
4 Pakistan Studies for class IX, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
5 Pakistan Studies for class X, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
6 Pakistan Studies for class X, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
Social Studies
1 Social Studies for class V, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
2 Social Studies for class V, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
3 Social Studies for class VI, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
4 Social Studies for class VII, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
5 Social Studies for class VII, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
6 Social Studies for class VIII, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
7 Social Studies for class VIII, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
8 Social Studies for class IX, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
English
1 English for class I, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
2 English for class I, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
3 English for class II, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
4 English for class II, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
5 English for class III, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
6 English for class III, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
7 English for class IV, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
8 English for class IV, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
9 English for class V, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
121
10 English for class V, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
11 English for class VI, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
12 English for class VI, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
13 English for class VII, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
14 English for class VII, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
15 English for class VIII, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
16 English for class VIII, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
17 English for class IX, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
18 English for class IX, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
19 English for class X, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
20 English for class X, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
21 English-II for class X, NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar
Geography
1 Geography for class VI, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
2 Geography for class VII, KP Textbook Board, Peshawar
***********************
122