K & P

Making it mandatory: IGP demands civics be taught at schools

Educationists reject suggestion, say it will not curb crime levels

Saba Rani May 24, 2016

Inspector General of Police Nasir Khan Durrani. PHOTO: INP/FILE

PESHAWAR: Inspector General of Police Nasir Khan Durrani has demanded students between class seven and 12 be taught civics as a compulsory subject. He has also suggested a chapter on honour killing and domestic violence be included in school textbooks.

The request was put forward in a letter addressed to Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser and Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education Muhammad Atif Khan.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, the IGP said he forwarded these suggestions to ensure children are aware of their rights and duties.

According to Durrani, civics used to be a compulsory subject at schools. It provided students with the opportunity to learn about their rights and duties. “I have recommended that the education department adds [civics] as a mandatory subject,” he added.

Shifting responsibility

However, education experts rejected the suggestion and voiced their objections.

Many of them believe the police department is placing the burden of reducing crime rates on the shoulders of educationists. According to education experts, a subject cannot help reduce crime levels as all stakeholders have to play their role in this regard.

“It is not enough to include civics in the curriculum,” Bushra Raheem, an educationist, told The Express Tribune. “By doing this, the police are trying to shift their responsibility of protecting citizens to the education department.”

She added, “If the police do not play their role in an efficient manner, how can people expect crime to decrease [by teaching students a subject]?” According to Raheem, a subject like civics offers a long-term solution to the problem. “It will bear fruit after a decade or two,” he said.

Awareness drive

Awami National Party leader and former education minister Sardar Hussain Babak said social studies helps teach students about social norms, while religious studies will help reduce crime levels. He added the previous government used to review the curricula twice a year.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 25^th, 2016.

COMMENTS (1)

TAK | 7 years ago | Reply The suggestion of IG Police KP makes sense, it used to be taught in Schools previously and was part of Social Studies where Civics was taught along with History and Geography and then some wise educationist removed it from the syllabus from all over Pakistan. We need to build a nation no matter how much time it takes because it is need of the hour as apparently it can be seen that parents have stopped taking responsibility with regard to teaching their children the basics of rights and responsibilities. Ample example of which can be seen in our country at public places, traffic signals, while driving [throwing of garbage out of cars has become a routine matter/fashion and of course no use of car indicators while turning or changing lanes] and other occasions. This is a serious matter and should not be taken lightly, the Federal Government in consultations with provinces should spearhead the move.

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