A REVIEW ON TEXTBOOKS AND NATIONAL CURRICULUM RECOMMENDED BY THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN BY PAKISTAN MINORITIES TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION
June 2010
Prepared by
PROF. ANJUM JAMES PAUL
PAKISTAN MINORITIES TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION
All Rights reserved with Pakistan Minorities Teachers’ Association
Email: info.pmta@gmail.com Blog: http//pmtapakistan.blogspot.com
Cell No. +92-300-769-5653
A REVIEW ON TEXTBOOKS AND NATIONAL CURRICULUM RECOMMENDED BY THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN.
BY: Prof. Anjum James Paul
Chairman
Pakistan Minorities Teachers’ Association
There has been review on four textbooks which are presently available in the market and the National Curriculum recommended by the Curriculum Wing, Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan. There are reservations and recommendations for improvement so that culture of peace, tolerance and harmony be promoted through these textbooks. Besides this there are recommendations to improve the textbooks in general.
There is review on the following textbooks which are available in the market.
· COMPUTER EDUCATION Grade VI Edition 2010
· ENGLISH Grade I Edition 2009
· GENERAL KNOWLEDGE Grade I Edition 2010
· URDU Grade I Edition 2009
Material is being developed for the following textbooks according to the National Recommended Curriculum, by the Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan.
· ETHICS for Non-Muslims , Grades III-XII 2007
· GENERAL KNOWLEDGE, Grades II-III 2007
· HISTORY Grades VI-VIII 2006
· PAKISTAN STUDIES Grades IX-X 2006
· SOCIAL STUDIES Grades IV-V 2007
· URDU Grades I-XII 2006
COMPUTER SCIENCE
Grade-VI
Publisher: Punjab Textbook Board Date of Printing
March 2010
| UNIT | CONTENTS |
| UNIT 1 | INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS |
| UNIT 2 | INTRODUCTION TO WINDOWS |
| UNIT 3 | COMMONLY USED SOFTWARE |
| UNIT 4 | THE INTERNET AND WORLD WIDE WEB |
RECOMMENDATIONS
| S.No. | Page | Line | Reference | Recommendation |
| 1 | Contents | 2 | What is a Computer | What is a computer? Ref. Page 1. Line 3 |
| 2 | Contents | 33 | Text Book | Textbook |
| 3 | 18 | 1 | Which of the following is not an output device? | Which of the following is an output device? Note: Bring changes in the options and make a positive question. |
| 4 | 20 | 18 | Startup | start up Ref. p.21 ,line 14 |
| 5 | 130 | 11 | OperationalManagement | Operational Management |
| 6 | 130 | 20 | Book Land | Bookland |
ENGLISH
Grade-I
Prepared by: The Caravan Book House, Kacheri Road, Lahore
Publisher: Punjab Textbook Board Date of Printing
March 2010
Note: This is a compulsory subject for all the students belonging to any religion.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. It is recommended to add the following matter in the beginning of the next two pages to facilitate the reader;
| S.No | Unit No | Theme | Unit title | Focus | Language Skill | Page No |
2. In Unit 36, page 82.It is recommended to wish cards to the Hindus, Sikhs Parsees and Baha’is as well besides the cards of Eid Mubarak and Merry Christmas.
3. In the Unit No.52, page 113, Theme ‘Love for Pakistan, Peaceful co-existence ‘Unit title ‘Our country’ the sentence ‘Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and Parsees live in Pakistan.’ will certainly promote a sense of peaceful co-existence which is utmost need of the time in our country. It is strongly recommended to add Baha’is as well as they are also Pakistanis.
4. Unit 55, page 117 instead of ‘Do not throw litter on the ground. Put it in the rubbish bin.’ If it is written in this way ‘Put litter in the rubbish bin’ because all statements are positive except this one.
5. It is recommended to change the theme and unit title of Unit 57, page 120 ‘Festivals and Cultural events’ ‘Eid-ul-Fitr’ as there is contradiction in the theme and the Unit title. Eid-ul- Fitr is a religious festivals and it does not have connection with festivals and cultural events because minorities celebrate their own religious festivals. It is further recommended to add the religious festivals of the minorities as well to promote the culture of religious and interfaith harmony.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
Grade-I
Publisher: Punjab Textbook Board Date of Printing
March 2010
Note: This is a compulsory subject for all the students.
RESERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
1. In chapter 1, page 1 ‘Our Beliefs’ It is recommended either to change the theme of this chapter or to give place to all the religions that exist in Pakistan because students of minorities also read this textbook but they are forcibly being informed about the majority religion of Pakistan.
2. In chapter 6, page 24 ‘Eating Manners’ it is written “Reciting Bismillah before eating”. This is Islamic way of recitation but people of different religions recite prayer before eating according to their religions. So, it is recommended to write the way they recite their prayer before eating in the textbook.
3. In chapter 8, page 29 two armed soldiers have been shown in a picture. It is recommended to show a picture where a soldier salutes the national flag. In this way sense of patriotism can be promoted instead of a picture with arm which can be destructive for them. There must be message of peace in the picture.
4. It is recommended that in chapter 10, page 34 ‘The Prophets’ brief biographies of all the prophets whose names have been mentioned must be written so that students may come to know about their lives.
5. In chapter 12, page 40 ‘Neighbourhood’ Six locations have been shown including Mosque and even on page 41 Mosque has been shown again. There is maximum emphasis on this place. It is recommended that Church, Temple, Gurdevarah, Agairy and Mushriq-al-Azkaar be written so that students may learn the worship places of different religions in the same chapter.
6. In chapter 13, page 45 ‘My School’ picture which has been developed is irrelevant. The teacher is writing English and Urdu alphabets at the same time. At the same time she does not have even interaction with the students. There is no interaction between the teacher and the students. It is recommended to replace this picture with a relevant one.
7. In chapter 14, page 46 ‘Worship’ there is more emphasis on the religion of Islam. ‘Provide necessary information to students regarding the Muslim’s method of worship “Namaz”. It is recommended to draw the pictures of the worship places of Parsees and Baha’is and completion of blanks. Place of worship for the Parsees is Agairy while place of worship for Baha’is is Mashriq-al-Azkaar. These names can be added in the activities as well with the other places of worship. In the same way in the activity on page 48 students can be asked to search any other place of worship in the neighbourhood besides Mosque. There can be change in the Guidelines for Teachers: ‘Inform the students about the importance of mosque in Muslim society.’
8. In chapter 17, page 58, instead of saying
o Do not throw garbage here and there.
o Do not pluck flowers
o Do not spit everywhere
They can be written in a positive way like
o Throw garbage in the trash bin.
o Protect flowers
o Spit in the trash bin.
9. In chapter 19,page 63 ‘Traffic Signals’ instead of saying
o Never do violation of red signal.
o Never get in or get down from the moving vehicle.
We can say
§ Always stop at red signal.
§ Always get in or get down from the stopping vehicle.
10. In chapter 20, page 66
Instead of saying
§ Do not spread litter.
§ Do not spit everywhere.
§ No wall chalking
We can say
§ Throw litter in the rubbish bin.
§ Spit in the rubbish bin.
§ Keep walls neat.
11. In chapter 22, page 70 ‘Good Manners’ In Guidelines for Teachers it is written: ‘Tell non-muslim students according to their own religion’. It is recommended to write ‘m’ of ‘muslim’ with a capital letter. For the convenience of the teachers the way the students of the other religions greet must be written like this
Jews say Shalom
Christians say Peace be with you/ God bless you
Hindus say Namaste
Sikhs say Wahe Guru ji da Khalsa, Wahe Guru ji de Fateh
Parsees say Sahib jee
Baha’is say Allah-hu- Abha
12. Chapter 23, page 73 ‘Divine Books’
This is so sorry to say that there is lack of information in the Divine Books. The writer must know at least the fundamental beliefs of Judaism and Christianity. The Holy Bible is the component of the Old Testament and the New Testament. Torah and Psalms are in the Old Testament while Gospel is in the New Testament. The order must be like this
TORAH Moses
Psalms David
Gospel Jesus Christ
Holy Quran Hazrat Muhammad (Sallallah-u- alaihi wa alihi wa sallam).
It is further recommended to change the title of the content to ‘Holy Books’ and the Holy Books of the following religions must also be included to create harmony and understanding among religions that exist in Pakistan.
Garanth Sahib of Sikhs
Avesta of Parsees
Kitab-e- Aqdas of Baha’is
Vades, Upanishads, Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavad- Gita of Hindus
Meri Kitab (My Book)
Grade-I
Publisher: Punjab Textbook Board Date of Printing
March 2010
Note: This is a compulsory subject for all the students.
RESERVATIONS
1. There are 16 contents of this book and preaching of Islam is in seven chapters. This is a compulsory subject which has to be studied by the students of all faiths.
2. The pronoun of ‘our’ has been used that indicates the religious personality of a particular religion only.
3. Content 1, page 1, there is the picture of Kaa’ba in the poem written in praise of God. This picture symbolizes a particular religion.
4. Content 2, page 5, there is a poem in praise of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallah-u- alaihi wa alihi wa sallam)
One example is presented from the activity on page 7 ‘Encourage children that every child read Naat (poem) in loud voice.
5. Content 7, page 25 ‘Kindness with Children’ has been developed along with exercise, activity and guidelines for teachers keeping in mind the Islamic perspective.
6. Content 8, page 31 ‘Importance of Cleanliness’ an example ‘Tell children that in Islam cleanliness is half belief.’
7. Content 11, page 43 ‘Good Child’ an example ‘Tell children that in the Holy Quran it is advised to adopt good habits and qualities.
8. Content 12, page 46 ‘Speak Truth’ an example ‘Tell Children that Islam has given much importance to speak the truth.’
9. Content 14, page 54 ‘Manners of Conversation’ an example ‘Tell children what manners Holy Quran told about good and meaningful conversation.’
A review of the National Curriculum recommended by the National Curriculum Wing, Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan in the Subjects of Ethics, General Knowledge, History, Pakistan Studies, Social Studies and Urdu.
ETHICS
Grade- III
Unit III
Personalities
Prophet Abraham
- Life & traveling
- Strong believer in God
- Uprightness
- Sacrifice (Eldest son)
ETHICS
Grade- IV
Unit -I
Introduction to Religions
ETHICS
Grade-V
Unit- I
Introduction to Religions
· Semitic Religions
Introduction
Origin
Main Prophets (Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Jesus Christ, Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Them), their relationship with these religions (very briefly)
Unit-II
Judaism
· Introduction
· Scripture and other books (Talmud , Kabala)
· Prophet Moses
o Life
o Teaching
o Ten commandments
o Belief in God (in detail)
Christianity
· Introduction
· Scripture
· Jesus Christ
o Life
o Teachings
o Sermon on the mount
o Parable of the Good Samaritan
Unit-IV
Personalities
Prophet David
o Life
o Psalms
St. Paul
o Life
o Contribution
ETHICS
Grade- VI
Unit –I
Introduction to Religions
· Contribution of religions towards human development
o Development of good character and values
o Seeking knowledge (Quotations from Holy books)
Unit-III
Religious festivals in Pakistan
§ Christmas
Unit-IV
Personalities
Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ
· Importance in both Islam and Christianity
· Chastity
St. Thomas Aquinas
· Life
· Contribution towards philosophy and Theology
ETHICS
Grade- VII
Unit I
Introduction to Religions
· Contribution of religions towards human development
o Arts, Literature (Mystic poetry), Architecture
Unit-III
Religious festivals in Pakistan
§ Easter
Unit- IV
Personalities
St. Thomas, The Apostle
§ Life
§ Character
§ Contribution
ETHICS
Grade-VIII
Unit –V
Personalities
St. Augustine
§ Life
§ Contribution
ETHICS
Grade- XI-XII
Unit II
Detail accounts of the religions of Pakistan and their strengths
§ Islam
§ Christianity
§ Hinduism
§ Sikhism
§ Zoroastrianism
(History, basic beliefs, system & places of worship (spiritual aspect), basic teachings with some details, rituals of birth and death)
Unit-V
Personalities
· Nelson Mandela
· Mother Teresa
RESERVATIONS
Christian and Islamic beliefs differ in many places.
1. The curriculum in the subject of Ethics for Non-Muslim students was developed by the curriculum committee which consisted on the experts of five major religions that exist in Pakistan. But it is so sorry that the textbooks are being developed by the Muslim authors only. PMTA is unable to understand how will they justify with the beliefs of the other religions being Muslims as it varies their beliefs? There are grave chances of the unacceptability of these textbooks as Sindh Textbook Board has already gone through the bitter experience when a chapter on Jesus Christ was developed in the Islamic perspective and ultimately that chapter was excluded from the book of Ethics for class 9th due to the protest of Christians. According to the information of PMTA there are chances of the boycott of the textbooks if written in the same way.
2. The teachings of the Holy Bible and the Holy Quran differ on the sacrifice of Abraham’s son because according to the Holy Bible there was the sacrifice of Isaac while according to the Holy Quran it was the sacrifice of Ishmael.
3. When Muslims do not believe on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ then how can they pen down on EASTER which is the religious festival of Christians?
4. There is difference in the teachings of the Holy Bible and the Holy Quran on the birth of Jesus Christ, the way He was born. There will certainly be problem in writing the religious festival of CHRISTMAS.
5. The teachings of the Holy Bible and the Holy Quran differ about Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ.
6. The Holy Bible does not describe that Adam was a prophet. In the same way the Holy Bible and the Holy Quran describe about Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses and Jesus Christ in a different way.
7. The source of Judaism and Christianity is the Holy Bible which differs from the Islamic source, the Holy Quran.
8. The personalities which have been mentioned in the curricula like Prophet Abraham, Prophet David, St. Paul, Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Thomas, the Apostle and St. Augustine. Some of them are the Doctors of the Church and how will Muslim writers deeply develop material on Christianity with a unbiased approach?
9. According to the Muslims there have been changes in the previous revealed Books. They are no more valid now after the revelation of the Holy Quran. So, in such a situation what will have to be done when textbooks are being developed for those students who are the follower of the Holy Bible and there has been negation of their religion?
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. The name of ETHICS must be changed into RELIGIOUS EDUCATION so that there may not be inferiority complex in the students of minorities.
2. Religion is a very sensitive matter so the beliefs of any religion must be developed by the followers of that religion so that there may not be any confusion and confrontation in the minds of the students of that particular religion.
3. There must not be comparison of any religion on any cost.
4. All religions must be respected on equal basis.
5. There must not be the negation of the teachings of any religion especially when interfaith dialogue and interfaith harmony is being promoted by different corners in our country.
6. Unit I of Grade III can create problems for the minorities students which is about ;
Introduction of Religions
Brief introduction to primitive Religions: Nature Worship
o Sky gods
o Earth gods
o Mythologies( Greek, Babylonian, Egyptian)
Brief Introduction to primitive Religions, Animism and Magic
o Totemism
o Fables & Myths
Students of minorities are also innocent like the Muslim students. It is much needed to strengthen them in their beliefs as well.
7. According to the National Education Policy 2009 there will be recruitment of minorities’ teachers for teaching the subject of Ethics. So, it is the responsibility of the state to arrange teachers for the minorities students without any further delay. So that there may not be loss of their education and faith.
8. The teachings on Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Sikhism, Confucianism, Taoism and Jainism must be written by the experts and religious scholars of these religions. The same mean must be adopted about writing the personalities and religious festivals of these religions.
9. There must be availability of textbooks in the subject of Ethics in the market in the first phase especially for grades V and VIII which have been placed in phase III and will be available in 2012-13. What will students do by that time? So, the Ministry of Education should have a soft corner for the minorities’ students. They hardly get curriculum and in failure ultimately they have to appear in the subject of Islamic Studies.
10. It is recommended that teachings on Baha’i religion must also be the part of the curriculum as followers of this religion also exist in Pakistan with their separate identity.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
Grade -II
| S.No | Theme | Students’ Learning Outcomes |
| 1 | BLESSINGS/Bounties of Almighty Allah · Blessings/ Bounties of Almighty Allah · Brief Connotations in Arabic and their meanings. | All the students will be able to · Recognize that Almighty Allah gives us innumerable blessings/Bounties (home, family, food etc.). · Recognize that everyone should thank Almighty Allah for His blessings/ Bounties. · Recite brief connotations in Arabic that Muslims use in daily life with their meanings (Insha Allah, Masha Allah, al-Hamdu lillah, Yarhamu kallah). |
| 2 | OUR COUNTRY Map of Pakistan | |
| 3 | Quaid-e- Azam | |
| 4 | Our Flag | |
| 5 | VILLAGES AND CITIES Lives in the villages and cities-today | |
| 6 | Lives in the villages and cities- in the past | |
| 7 | FASTING AND RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS · Fasting · Ramazan | · Recognize the importance of fasting for people of all faiths. · Recognize that people of all faiths fast at different times of the year. · Recognize that Ramazan is the month of fasting for Muslims. · Identify what Muslims do during the month of Ramazan. |
| 8 | Religious festivals · Eid-ul-Fitr & Eid-ul- Azha · Other Cultural and Religious Festivals. | · Describe how people celebrate ‘Eid-ul- Fitr & Eid-ul- Azha. · Identify other cultural and religious festivals celebrated in their village/city. |
| 9 | GOVERNMENT IN A CITY/VILLAGE | |
| 10 | Rights and Responsibilities of a Government | |
| 11 | THE NATIONAL ENVIORNMENT | |
| 12 | Water | |
| 13 | Plants | |
| 14 | Animals | |
| 15 | Uses of Earth’s Resources | |
| 16 | Agriculture | |
| 17 | Construction | |
| 18 | Conservation of the Earth’s Resources | |
| 19 | Heat and Light | |
| 20 | DEVELOPING A GOOD CHARCTER Learning Good Character from the lives of Prophets · Biography/ Seerat of Hazrat Muhammad (Sallallah-u- alaihi wa alihi wa sallam). · Examples from the Lives of Hazrat Musa (A.S) and Hazrat Isa (A.S) | · Narrate events from the Biography/ Seerat of Hazrat Muhammad (Sallallah-u- alaihi wa alihi wa sallam). · Narrate events from the life of Hazrat Musa (A.S) and Hazrat Isa (A.S). · Identify examples of good character from the life history of Hazrat Muhammad (Sallallah-u- alaihi wa alihi wa sallam). (Truthfulness, love, forgiveness). |
| 21 | Helping others | |
| 22 | Respecting others and appreciating their diversity | |
| 23 | Forgiveness and Forgiving others | |
| 24 | Being Just and Fair | |
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
Grade –III
| S.No. | Theme | Students’ Learning Outcomes |
| 1 | THE EARTH AS A LIVING PLANET | |
| 2 | Changes in Living Things | |
| 3 | Sun | |
| 4 | NATURAL, HUMAN AND CAPITAL RESOURCES | |
| 5 | Conservation of Natural Resources | |
| 6 | Food and Feeding | |
| 7 | PAST AND PRESENT Past and Present Things | |
| 8 | Inventors and Inventions | |
| 9 | Tools and Machines | |
| 10 | MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE The role of the Government and Citizens | |
| 11 | Working out Disagreement | |
RESERVATIONS
1. In GRADE II theme of BLESSINGS/Bounties of Almighty Allah. It is expressed in the Students Learning Outcomes to recite brief connotations in Arabic that Muslims use in daily life with their meanings (Insha Allah, Masha Allah, al-Hamdu lillah, Yaramu Kallah).
In our daily life we see that Non- Muslims are not appreciated because Muslims consider that these connotations are the part and parcel of their religion. Non- Muslims are forbidden to use these connotations by the Muslims but they are forced to study and use these connotations by the Federal Ministry of Education. PMTA is unable able to understand the logic behind this.
2. In the theme of ‘FASTING AND RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS’ there is more emphasis on Ramazan which is the month of fasting for Muslims and further said;
· Identify what Muslims do during the month of Ramazan.
3. In the theme of ‘Religious Festivals’ only the Islamic religious festivals Eid-ul- Fitr and Eid-ul- Azha are expressed. These two Islamic festivals are part of the recommended curriculum of ETHICS (For Non- Muslims).Islamic festivals are included in almost all social subjects but none of the religious festivals have been included from the minority religions of Pakistan except Ethics which is being developed for them by the Muslims.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Textbooks must be developed according to the Recommendations of UNESCO.
2. It has been observed that in the subject of General Knowledge which is going to be taught to the students at the early stage religion of Islam is dominant. Second place has been given to Christianity but other religions have been ignored. Followers of other religions other than Islam and Christianity are Pakistanis. So, it is recommended that due share of other religions be included in this subject so that there may be promotion of Interfaith harmony. National unity and national integrity will also be promoted in this way.
3. Religious personalities and festivals of minorities must be included in the textbooks that are being developed so that Muslim students also know about the personalities and religious festivals of the other religions. This will definitely bring students of different religions closer to each other.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
Grade- III
PMTA appreciates the National Curriculum Wing which has developed the curriculum according to the recommendations of UNESCO. It is expected that the developed material will also be according to these recommendations.
HISTORY
Grade –VI
Ancient Civilization to End of Delhi Sultanate
(2500 BC – 1526 AD)
| Chapter | Contents |
| 1 | INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION |
| 2 | THE ARYAN ERA |
| 3 | MUSLIMS IN SOUTH ASIA-I |
| 4 | MUSLIMS IN SOUTH ASIA-II |
| 5 | SOCIO-CULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS |
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. The material that has to be developed in chapter 1, content 3 ‘Religious and Social Systems’ must be strictly unbiased and without any comparison between or among religions.
2. In chapter 2, content 3 ‘Hinduism’, content 4 ‘Buddhism’ and content 5 ‘Jainism’, it is recommended that these must be developed by the religious scholars of these religions. Previously matter on these religions was developed with a biased approach and this time it must be avoided.
3. In the Learning Outcomes of chapter 2 it is written ‘Explain how Buddhism and Jainism differ from Hinduism.’ It is surprising that it is in the guiding principles that there must not be comparison between or among religions but National Curriculum Wing itself has breached it. So, it is recommended to review this content.
4. In chapter 3, content 1 ‘Arrival of Arabs and Conquest of Sindh by Mohammad bin Qasim’ and content 2 ‘Mahmud of Ghazna’. There was disinformation and contradictions in the previous textbooks on these contents. It must also be considered that the Arabs were also invaders like Alexander and Aryans etc. On one hand Mohammed bin Qasim was attacking Hindu temples and on the other hand he was building temples. It is recommended that nothing must be hidden and true story must be expressed even how he was put to death by his uncle Hijaj bin Yusuf who sent him to India. In this way students will come to know what he did and how he was treated not by the Indians but by his own people.
5. In chapter 5, content 1 ‘Sufism and its impact’ and content 2 ‘Contribution of Muslims in the Arts, the Sciences and Architecture.’ It is obvious that maximum material will be developed on the conversion to Islam. The verse of Qur’ an must also be kept in mind while developing material on this content “There is no compulsion in religion.”
6. There must be emphasis on the political issues and religion must be avoided. The students must be taught religion only in the recommended particular textbook being developed for this purpose.
HISTORY
Grade –VII
Mughal Empire
Foundation, Consolidation
Contribution and Disintegration (1526-1857)
| Chapter | Contents |
| 1 | THE FOUNDATION |
| 2 | MUGHAL EMPIRE: CONSOLIDATION |
| 3 | MUGHAL EMPIRE: SOCIO-CULTURAL CONDITIONS |
| 4 | MUGHAL EMPIRE: DISINTEGRATION |
| 5 | MUGHAL EMPIRE: ASCENDENCY OF THE BRITISH |
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Title of the recommended book is very long. ‘Mughal Empire’ (1526-1857) is approptiate.
2. In chapter 2, content 4 ‘Abul Muzaffar Mohiuddin Aurangzeb Alamgir: the last of the Great Mughals.’ It is recommended to omit word ‘Great’ Mughals were invaders who invaded our land that is why they cannot be great for us. Alexander is great for Greeks but not for us. In the same way instead of saying ‘Great Wars’, ‘World Wars’ must be used because destructive things cannot be great.
3. In the Learning Outcomes on page 15 it is written “Discuss Aurangzeb’s Religious Policy and its Consequences”. It clearly indicates that there will be preaching of Islam and conversions to Islam. So, such a material should not be developed if so much necessary it can be developed in the book of Islamic Studies which has to be read by the Muslim students only. It is needed to tell them but not to the Non- Muslim students otherwise it will hurt the religious emotions of the students of minorities.
4. Chapter 3, content 3 ‘Revivalist and Syncretic Movements: Bhakti and Sikhism’. It is recommended that material on these contents must be developed the religious scholars of the concerned religions.
5. Chapter 4, content 2 ‘ Decline of the Mughals:
§ Social and Economic
§ Political
It is recommended that religion must not be involved as it was in the present textbooks in which Non- Muslims are also blamed for the decline of the Mughals.
HISTORY
Grade -VIII
| Chapter | Contents |
| 1 | CONSOLIDATION OF BRITSH RULE |
| 2 | SIR SYED AHMAD KHAN AND THE ALI GARH MOVEMENT |
| 3 | POLITICAL AWAKENING IN THE BRITISH INDIA |
| 4 | QUEST FOR POLITICAL SETTLEMENT |
| 5 | STRUGGLE FOR PAKISTAN |
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Please correct the spelling of ‘British’ in chapter 1 of the contents.
2. Chapter 1, content 3 ‘Educational Policy’. It is recommended that there must not be too much criticism on this content. There are traditional educational policies in our own country Pakistan. Educational policies in Pakistan have never been value based and need based. There have been biases against the minorities and a particular ideology is dominant in our educational policies. It is needed to heal the educational system of Pakistan.
3. Chapter 2, content 2 ‘Sir Syed Ahmad Khan’s Contribution Towards Education and Social Reforms.’ It is recommended that the role of the English Government, English and Hindu teachers must be included in it. There must not be biased material against the Hindus and English people in this content as it is in the present textbooks.
4. Chapter 3, content 5 ‘Khilafat and Hijrat Movements, (1919-24).’ It is recommended that the development of material on this content must be unbiased and based on the facts. In the present textbooks material on this content is controversial as it has been written in a very sentimental and biased approach. The authors on this content are not very much clear but are double minded as K.M. Gandhi and Congress are held responsible for the failure of the Khilfat Movement but when it was overthrown by the conspiracies of the Muslims there is not much written about it .Same is the case with the Hijrat Movement where K.M. Gandhi, Congress, Muslim Ulama and the Afghan Government is held responsible for the Hijrat Movement.
5. Chapter 4, content 7 ‘Demand for separation of Sindh and introduction of Reforms in NWFP and Baluchistan.’ It is recommended that the new name of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (former NWFP) be written in the textbooks so that latest information may be transferred to the students.
6. In the Learning Outcomes on page 26 instead of ‘Muslims demands’ it should be the ‘demands of the All India Muslim League’ as they were not the demands of all Muslims living in India.
7. In the Learning Outcomes on page 26 ‘Highlight the salient features of the Communal Award with reference to Muslim demands.’ It is recommended to write ‘demands of All India Muslim League.’
8. In the Learning Outcomes on page 26 it is recommended to write ‘India’ instead of ‘Muslim India’.
9. In the Learning Outcomes on page 26 ‘Elaborate on the specific Muslim grievances against the Congress Rule with special reference to the Pirpur Report………..a Royal Commission.’ It is recommended that if there are any grievances then they should be against the policies of the Congress but not against Hindus as Muslims and followers of other religions were also in the Congress. Congress must be considered as a Political Party. Pakistani Hindus must not be degraded on the basis of religion.
10. In the Learning Outcomes on page 26 ‘Muslim India’s spokesman’ it is recommended to write ‘India’s spokesman.’
11. Chapter 5, content 11 ’Role of Minorities in the creation of Pakistan.’ It is recommended that the political role of the minorities in the creation of Pakistan be developed in the textbooks in detail and particularly the role of Christian politicians especially on the issue of the division of Punjab.
PAKISTAN STUDIES
Grades IX-X
| Chapter | Contents |
| 1 | Ideological Basis of Pakistan |
| 2 | Making of Pakistan |
| 3 | Land and Environment |
| 4 | History of Pakistan-I |
| 5 | History of Pakistan-II |
| 6 | Pakistan in World Affairs |
| 7 | Economic Developments |
| 8 | Population, Society and Culture of Pakistan |
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Chapter 1 with all its four contents is very sensitive.
i. Definition, sources and significance of ideology.
ii. Basis of Pakistan Ideology with particular reference to the basic values of Islam and economic deprivation of Muslims in India.
iii. Two-nation theory; origin and explication.
iv. Pakistan ideology: Allama Iqbal’s and Quaid-i- Azam’s pronouncements.
It is recommended that there should not be biased material against any religion and especially against Hindus because in the present textbooks material on these contents is against Hindus and pronouncements are also the same. It must also be kept in mind that Muslims invaded India and there could be reaction of the Indians against the invaders. So, while developing material on these contents all the factors must be considered on the rationale ground. As far as two-nation theory is concerned it is based on hatred and after the existence of Pakistan one-nation theory had to be promoted and result is this we the Pakistanis have not yet become a nation after 63 years of its creation. Culture of hatred, intolerance, violence and restlessness has been promoted by the discriminatory policies and laws of different governments. Terrorism is on its peal. People of all faiths are insecure and are killed even in the places of worships. It is utmost need that textbooks must promote human dignity and human value instead of promoting hatred among people of different beliefs.
2. It is recommended that in chapter 2 role of minorities in the creation of Pakistan be included as it has been in the recommended curriculum of History, Grade VIII, chapter 5, content 11.
3. Chapter IV, content 1 ‘Early Problems’, ‘Objectives Resolution’ and content 3 ‘Separation of East Pakistan and Emergence of Bangladesh’. In the present textbooks material on these contents is based against the follower of a particular religion. In the ‘Early Problems’ it should also be mentioned that K.M. Gandhi was killed due to favouring Pakistan on the issue of assets by Godse, a fanatic Hindu. ‘Objectives Resolution’ passed in 1949 was against the ideology of the Quaid-e- Azam because its foundation was laid on disharmony and hatred. Minorities were considered as second class citizens and still we see its impacts on the Constitution of Pakistan which has many biased Articles against the minorities. In the content 3, Hindu teachers are also blamed for the emergence of Bangladesh in the textbooks from many of the other factors. This is unrealistic to teach against the content to the students and being a teacher belonging from minority doing such a practice is impossible. In Pakistan teachers from the minorities have to teach even against their own beliefs and religious practices. They have sometimes even to preach Islam as it is almost in all the subjects of social sciences. Even the recommended curriculum of various subjects is against the beliefs of the minorities’ students. Now what has to be done?
Therefore it is recommended that the National Curriculum Wing, Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan to review such sensitive and critical matters.
4. Chapter-V, History of Pakistan, content 3 ‘Zia Era 1977-88’
It is recommended that there must be critical evaluation of Zia’s policies and why his name has been expelled from the Constitution of Pakistan in 2010 by the Parliament of Pakistan through the 18th Amendment. Comments of Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Pakistan on June 9, 2010 be the part of the developed material in which Gen. Zia’s did a criminal act as he tempered the ‘Objectives Resolution’ excluded word ‘freely’ in the 8th Amendment in 1985 used for minorities in the said Resolution.
SOCIAL STUDIES
Grade –IV
| S.No. | Themes |
| 1 | GEOGRAPHY: Globe and Map Skills |
| 2 | HISTORY: THE WAY WE WERE |
| 3 | GEOGRAPHY: OUR VARYING LAND AND ITS PEOPLE |
| 4 | GOVERNMENT: THE WAY WE GOVERN OURSELVES |
| 5 | ECONOMICS: THE CHOICE WE MAKE |
| 6 | CULTURE: THE WAY WE LIVE TOGETHER |
SOCIAL STUDIES
Grade -V
| S.No. | Themes |
| 1 | GEOGRAPHY |
| 2 | PHYSICAL REGIONS |
| 3 | CLIMATE |
| 4 | HISTORY |
| 5 | GOVERNMENT (LEADERS,COMMUNITY,CITIZENS) |
| 6 | MEANS OF INFORMATION |
| 7 | CULTURE |
| 8 | ECONOMIC |
NOTE OF APPRECIATION/EXPECTATION
National Curriculum Wing is appreciated that the curriculum for grade IV and grade V has been developed according to the recommendations of UNESCO. It is expected that the developed material in the themes will be according to these recommendations.
URDU
Grades II-XII
Recommended curriculum in the subject of Urdu from grade II-XII is much biased against the minority religions of Pakistan and only the majority religion has been given place in all the textbooks of all grades. The following themes have been included mostly in the recommended curriculum;
i. Poems on religious personalities, Islamic unity, Islam and heroes etc.
ii. Chapters on Islamic heroes
iii. Chapters on Islamic ways of living
iv. Chapters on Islamic festivals
v. Chapters on Islamic personalities
vi. Stories derived from the Islamic history
vii. Organization of Islamic Countries.
viii. Besides these contents Islamic teachings have been included in the general chapters as well.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Pakistan is a multi religious country where not only Muslims but Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Parsees and Baha’is are living. So there must be representations of the other religions in the textbooks to make it a national curriculum. This curriculum is not representative of the entire Pakistani nation but a representative of a majority religion.
2. Pakistani women poetesses and writers and in the same way the minorities’ poets, poetesses and writers have almost been ignored in the textbooks. There has been a bird’s eye view from the recommended curriculum from grade IX-XII in the subject of Urdu (Compulsory). In the recommended curriculum of grade IX-X there 20 topics of prose and 19 poems. Only Prem Chand’s (non- Muslim) and Hajra Masroor’s (Woman) short story will be included while in the poetry both of the suppressed classes have been ignored. In grade XI there are 12 topics of prose and 17 poems. Here too Ratan Nath Sarshar’s short story and Khadeja Mastoor’s (woman) novel will be included. In grade XII there are 17 topics of prose and 16 poems. It is so sorry that both women and minorities have been totally ignored here. There is a great contribution of women and minorities in the Pakistani literature. Nazir Qaisar an internationally recognized poet and prose writer, Suraj Narain (poet), Nasreen Anjum Bhatti(short story writer and poetess), Joshwa Fazal Din(poet) and K-R-Zia(poet) but they have been ignored with a biased approach. It is recommended that there must be gender balance and representation of Pakistani minorities in the textbooks otherwise it will look like an Islamic Curriculum instead of National Curriculum.
3. Pakistani Minorities have equally played their role in the creation and construction of this sacred land. They have played tremendous role in the fields of education, health, defense and social services. It is not fair to ignore their services for this nation. They have sacrificed for this nation in the wars but no one knows about them only because they were Non-Muslims that is why they are not the Pakistani heroes and only the Muslim heroes are expressed in the textbooks. There are internationally recognized poets and writers from the minorities whose works are part of the curriculum in the universities but they are ignored here on the basis of religion. So, it is recommended that the role of minorities must be recognized to create the atmosphere of interfaith harmony.
