Terming their content averse to Pakistan’s social and cultural traditions, the Federal Ministry of Education has imposed a ban on two Cambridge books.
According to a notification issued by the education ministry, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) banned the printing, publishing, distribution and teaching of the “Sociology Course Book” and “The History and Culture of Pakistan" in the educational institutions of the federal capital.
The regulator has also asked for an implementation report from all the educational institutions by May 10.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Federal Secretary of Education and Vocational Training, Waseem Ajmal Chaudhry, said: “These books have not received NOC from the Curriculum Wing and their content is against Pakistani social and cultural traditions due to which these books have been banned.”
In the notification issued by Secretary PEIRA Javed Iqbal, it has been said that an immediate ban has been imposed on the “Sociology Course Book” of the Cambridge University Press, authored by Jonathan Blundell.
Further, the book titled "The History and Culture of Pakistan" by Peck Publishing Limited/Danish Publishing Pvt Ltd, authored by Nigel Kelly, has also been banned.
As per the notification, PEIRA banned the books while exercising its powers under section 4(a) read with 4(g) of the ICT-PEIRA Act, 2013 after it received directions from the education ministry on April 28.
“The printing, publishing, distribution and teaching of these books will be banned and legal action will be taken against the violators under the Act, the notification read.
It said the management of the institutions should ensure that these books are not available in any institution.
The authority has also asked for a comprehensive O&A level booklist and reference book details “for due monitoring and evaluation by the National Curriculum Council, Islamabad”.
The PERA’s notification has been sent to the principals and chief executive officers of all private educational institutions of the federal government.
When contacted in this regard, the federal secretary of education and vocational training said that some material regarding same-sex marriage has been included in the sociology book which is against the social and cultural traditions of Pakistan.
In the second book, he said, the political history of Pakistan has been misrepresented and the map of Pakistan has also been printed incorrectly.
“Above all, these books did not get NOC from the National Curriculum Council based on which the ban has been imposed,” he explained.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 4th, 2023.
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