Controversial content in Cambridge books

KARACHI:

The Sindh Education Department has implemented a ban on the teaching of objectionable articles found in Cambridge books in schools.

According to Additional Director of Private Schools, Rafia Javed, one particular article in the O-level sociology book discusses homosexuality, which is deemed inappropriate.

Additionally, the content related to the history and culture of Pakistan in the Study of Pakistan book is considered historically inaccurate.

These articles are not in line with Pakistani culture, leading to the decision to prohibit their inclusion.

Javed further stated that all private schools have been instructed to remove these subjects from their curriculum. It has been discovered that publishers and schools included these topics in the curriculum without obtaining approval from the Sindh government.

In a letter addressing the issue, attention was drawn to the presence of inappropriate content within the O-level syllabus. Specifically, under the chapter titled ‘The Family’ in the sociology course book, a subheading referred to as the ‘same sex family’ was found.

Moreover, it was discovered that for the 2023-24 examination, Paper-II, Unit-4 introduced the term ‘same-sex family’ under the section discussing different types of family.

The content within this subject is highly controversial and extensively covers the topic of same-sex marriage, which is inconsistent with Islamic teachings and societal norms.

Meanwhile, another history book by Nigel Kelly contains controversial material targeting the country’s political leaders in Chapter 15. Consequently, the Sindh Education Department has prohibited the teaching of these subjects in schools.

The federal ministry has issued letters to Cambridge University Press Pakistan and Danesh Publishers Pakistan under the 1976 Act, imposing an immediate ban on the use of these textbooks in schools.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 19^th, 2023.