The government's plan is grand and envisions the enrollment of all out-of-school children, a long overdue revision of the curriculum and the development of community and basic education schools. PHOTO: REUTERS
The revised textbooks will be introduced in local educational institutions at the start of the next academic session beginning in March.
However, the key coalition partner of the ruling PTI in K-P, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), is planning to table a bill in the provincial assembly regarding ‘changes’ to be made in the curriculums being taught at the nursery level to 12th grade.
Talking to The Express Tribune, JI Provincial Ameer Mushtaq Ahmad Khan said that international non-profit organisations (INGOs) had pressurised the provincial government into removing lessons on religion from the textbooks.
Controversy over textbook
“To them (INGOs) lessons on our Islamic heroes, culture and religion are synonymous with ‘hate material’, but we will never compromise over our stand and never allow the government to remove these lessons from the textbooks.”
He said the National Assembly Standing Committee had approved the inclusion of Tajweed, Hifz, Tafsir, Uloom Al-Qur’an in the curriculum being taught at the secondary level.
The JI leader said his party had discussed the issue and directed JI Senior Minister Inayat Ullah Khan to table a resolution in this regard in the next assembly session.
Khan said the provincial government had already approved the changes suggested by them in the textbooks being taught at the primary level.
Meanwhile, K-P Elementary and Secondary Education Minister Muhammad Atif Khan denied that ‘changes’ were made in the curriculum and said old textbooks are still being taught in schools.
Revised textbooks distributed to schools
He said the curriculum was changed some two years ago and the suggestions made by the JI at that time are still valid. The minister also denied that the government was under any kind of pressure from INGOs and said no NGO has been interfering in the working of his ministry.
DCTE Deputy Director Zulfiqar Khan also denied any ‘new change’ in the textbooks and said they have only revised the books after receiving feedback from teachers.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 8th, 2016.
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