Study findings: ‘Twisted narratives in textbooks push youth towards radicalisation’

ISLAMABAD: A study has called for removing of twisted narratives from textbooks to stop students from falling into radical ideas.

This was the crux of the study based on findings of a two-day workshop conducted by The Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS).

Around 100 university and colleges teachers from across Pakistan mostly of Islamic Studies and Arabic departments participated in the workshop.

The teachers had been chosen for the study because they also steer and influence the discourse of subjects such as Pakistan Studies, history and social sciences subjects, often singled out for bias against minorities.

The study calls for sensitising teachers about inclusive education and religious diversity in a classroom.

The participating teachers were convinced that not the teachers but the twisted narratives in textbooks were the cause of radicalisation in the society.

It was also stressed that the teachers should encourage questioning. The study has called for purge the curricula of controversial topics and hate material.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 13^th, 2016.