News & Announcements

News

PMTA delegation meets PCTB authorities on the biased curriculum and textbooks

Lahore: May 24, 2015. (PCP) A delegation of the representatives of Pakistan Minorities Teachers’ Association met with the representatives of the Punjab Curriculum And Textbook Board Lahore in the Committee Room of PCTB on May 18, 2015. PMTA delegation was led by Professor Anjum James Paul Chairman PMTA while PCTB delegation was led by Mrs. Shahida Javed Director (Humanities). It was a good meeting and reservations and recommendations were presented to the authorities of PCTB alongwith four research based documents on the textbooks of Pakistan.
The PMTA delegation comprised of Prof. Anjum James Paul, Chairman (PMTA), Prof. Rajinder Parkash, President PMTA Punjab, Mr. Ashok Chand, Vice President PMTA Punjab, Prof. Jacob Paul, President, District Kasur, Prof. Azeem Masih, President, District Sialkot, Mr. Sarfraz Anjum Khokhar, President, District Lahore, Mr. Yuel Bhatti, Advisor PMTA Punjab, Ms. Shamim Sehar, Member PMTA, Parshant Singh, Student and Ashish Chand, student
Representatives of PCTB were Mrs. Shahida Javed Director (Humanities), Mr.Aurangzeb Malik (Librarian), Mr. Shehzad Mehmood Ali SS (Islamiyat), Ms. Laiqa Khanum SS (Education), Ms. Alia Anwar Shah SS (Pakistan Studies), Mr. Ghiyas Amir SS (History),Mr. Sarfraz Ahmad Fatiyana SS (Urdu), Mr. Mehar Safdar Waleed SS (Social Studies) and Mr. Habib Haider Hashmi A.S.S (Geography)
RESERVATIONS
The Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan in his presidential address to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan on August 11, 1947 said, “We are starting in the days when there is no discrimination, no distinction between one community and another, no discrimination between one caste or creed and another. We are starting with this fundamental principle that we are all citizens and equal citizens of one State.”
Article 20 (a) of the Constitution of Pakistan 1973 guarantees, “every citizen shall have the right to profess, practice and propagate his religion;” Article 22 (1) clearly guarantees, “No person attending any educational institution shall be required to receive religious instruction, or take part in any religious ceremony, or attend religious worship, if such instruction, ceremony or worship relates to a religion other than his own.” Article 25 (1) guarantees “All citizens are equal before law and are entitled to equal protection of law.”
Present National Education Policy 2009, National Curriculum 2006-2007 and textbooks have not only violated Article 20 (a), Article 22 (1) and Article 25 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan but also Article 26 (2) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 2 and Article 14 (1) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 5 of the Declaration On The Elimination Of All Forms Of Intolerance And Of Discrimination Based On Religion Or Belief, Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The students studying the textbooks that violate the fundamental human rights, constitution of Pakistan, International Conventions and Declarations can be a hindrance for the promotion of the culture of social harmony and peaceful coexistence.
Pakistan Minorities Teachers’ Association has 11 research based documents on the National Curriculum and textbooks published by National Book Foundation Islamabad, Punjab Curriculum And Textbook Board Lahore, Sindh Textbook Board Jamshoro, Balochistan Textbook Board Quetta and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Textbook Board Peshawar from 2007-2015.
Research identifies that there is violation of Article 20 (a) and Article 22 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan because textbooks consider all students of same religion, preach only single religion, preach only on conversion to single religion, promote religious identity of only single religion and promote dignity and glorification of the followers of only single religion
Research identifies that present textbooks even violate Article 25 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan because the textbooks promote Islamic identity to Pakistan, present Pakistan as a state of only Muslims, divide Pakistani nation on the basis of religion, create complex of majority and minority, present Quaid-e-Azam as a leader of only Muslims, compare among religions, let down the Holy Books of religious minorities, promote the sense to desecrate worship places, let down the minority religions, wrongly Interfere in the religious beliefs of minority religions , provoke religious violence, Instigate students to Muslim -Christian violence, Instigate students to Muslim- Hindu violence. These textbooks are biased against Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and Parsis and many the other cultures and civilizations. These textbooks promote discrimination among the majority and minority students. There is desecration of the religious and other personalities of the minorities.
Subject of Ethics which has been declared for the minority students is an open violation of Article 20 (a) and Article 25 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Article 20 (a), Article 22 (1) and Article 25 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan must be observed in the reviewed National Education Policy 2009 (NEP), National Curriculum 2006-2007 and textbooks.
2. Reviewed Curriculum must be on scientific basis. It must be unbiased, value based and need based.
3. It is needed to include more topics on peaceful co-existence, social justice, human rights, social and interfaith harmony in the curriculum.
4. It is suggested that information provided in the textbooks should be up to date, correct, unbiased, without errors, without ambiguity and without comparison between or among religions.
5. Biased material against all religions, religious minorities and civilizations must be removed from NEP 2009, NC 2006-2007 and textbooks that promotes extremism and leads to religious persecution. It is also a hindrance in the implementation of the agenda of National Action Plan 2014.
6. Religious instructions, teachings and heroes of a particular religion must be included only in the subject of ‘Religious Education’ to avoid violation of Article 22 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan. According to the present curriculum and textbooks there is not even a single student from religious minorities because all students are being taught the same and dominant religion of Pakistan. Curriculum and textbooks convert the religion of minority students as soon as they get admission in the educational institution. Religious beliefs, dogma and practices of any religion must not be imposed on any student.
7. There must be respect of all religions and the followers of all religions in the textbooks for the promotion of social and interfaith harmony.
8. Arrangements must also be made for the ‘Religious Education’ of minority students to avoid violation of Article 20 (a) , Article 25 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan and June 19 Verdict of the Supreme Court of Pakistan to protect the rights of the minorities. Subject of Ethics for the minority students is contradictory to the Constitution. Minority students have also their fundamental and Constitutional right to study their own religion/s instead of nine religions at different levels. Minority students must be treated equally like Muslim students.
9. There must be representation of minority educationists in all the schemes of studies at all levels.
10. Minority educationists must be included as authors, editors and reviewers of the textbooks.
11. Article 20 (a) of the Constitution of Pakistan must be observed in the educational system that guarantee, “Every citizen shall have the right to profess, practice and propagate his religion.” There must be freedom of religion to minority students to exercise their constitutional fundamental right as they are deprived of it.
12. Word “Masih”, “Masihi” or “Masihiat” should be used in all written or spoken form instead of “Esa”, “Esai” or “Esayat” for “Jesus Christ”, “Christian/s” or “Christianity.” in the textbooks.
13. Word “Sanatam Dharam” must be used in the textbooks instead of “Hinduism” or “Hindu religion” in the textbooks.


Back to List Views 755

Comments {{ vm.totalComments}}

No comments found, add one now.

  • {{comment.CommentText}}

    {{comment.Name}}, {{comment.DateInserted | date: 'dd/MMM/yyyy hh:mm:ss'}}

Post a comment


  About

Moalims are a private institutional information system with over 2,500 institutes registered from all over Pakistan and growing day by day, by the grace of Allah. It is established in 2009. It will be the largest education information system of its kind in the Pakistan Inshallah. As a global network, Moalims aims to give Parents, Teachers, students and Professionals a quality information and to prepare engaged People/citizens who shape not only the communities they live in, but also the wider world. A project of Web & Network Solutions Limited

  Contact Us
  Moalims.com

Pakistan,
Pakistan

Tel : 0345 3034 934
Mail : Admin
Business Hours : 9:00 - 5:00
Skype: moalims
Yahoo: moalims@yahoo.com