Today's children are tomorrow's future. Taking advantage of that ideology, how Pakistan is infiltrating the education system with its religious, chauvinistic and sexist views. It has been Pakistan PM Imran Khan and his party Tehreek-e-Insaf's long-standing vision to bring series of educational reforms in a bid to improve outcomes across schools and bridge the gap between private and public schools. Fast forward to 2021, that vision has proven to be dangerously affecting minorities and beyond.
Pakistan proposed implementation of a Single National Curriculum (SNC), which aims to bring a uniform system "in terms of curriculum, medium of instruction and a common platform of assessment so that all children have a fair and equal opportunity to receive high-quality education." The first phase of the new curriculum was launched in March, which applies to primary school students from Class 1 to 5. And it hasn't been welcoming as criticisms galore.
What's wrong with PAK's educational system?
Reviewing contents of SNC books for Class 1-5 available freely in book stores, it shows how Pakistan is heavily influencing young children with the inclusion of religious content in non-religious textbooks. A Class 5 English textbook has an entire chapter on Eid al-Adha, which violates Article 22 of the constitution.
Peter Jacobs, a Lahore-based public policy expert, who reviewed the SNC books for primary grade students, noted that certain aspects of the textbooks alienate non-Muslim students. He pointed out that one chapter includes a rhetorical question: "Do you know that Allah is our creator?"
Inclusion of religious matter in general knowledge, Urdu, and English is worrisome too. Excessive religious content can inadvertently inculcate a sense of self-righteousness and lead to bias. Is this what we really want?" questions an educationist with over 20 years of teaching experience Yasmin Ashraf, wrote in an opinion piece.
Jacobs and his team of educationalists further reviewed other books and found that 9 percent of the content in class 3 English textbooks, 23% of the class 4 English textbook and 21% of the class 5 textbook violated Article 22.
Furthermore, an entire chapter in the class 5 English textbook is on "patriotism". However, it is heavily argued that patriotism is not something that can be taught as it comes from within. But things don't just end at religious and chauvinistic views in the books as they are heavily sexist too. The class 5 SNC textbook has a passage on "A Nation's Strength" that solely talks about how men make the country great and strong. In a blurb, students are asked "how do brave men make a nation strong?"
