A brief introduction and achievements of Pakistan Minorities Teachers’ Association (PMTA)

A brief introduction and achievements of Pakistan Minorities Teachers’ Association (PMTA)

By: Professor Anjum James Paul
Chairman and Founder

Pakistan Minorities Teachers’ Association (PMTA) was established on August 28, 2005 by Professor Anjum James Paul. PMTA is constantly struggling with a dream to make Pakistan a role model state where people of religious minorities will one day live as a part of Pakistani nation and where they will not be judged by their faiths but by the content of equality. PMTA feels pleasure to share with you its role and achievements and expects more positive changes in the near future. Though it is a way to Calvary but we know that way to Calvary is a way to victory.
There is a brief detail of the role and achievements of PMTA below; 

ACHIEVEMENTS
1. For the first time in the history of Pakistan curriculum in the subject of Ethics (Compulsory) has been developed for the students of religious minorities of Pakistan.
2. Textbooks are also being written from class III-XII in the subject of Ethics (Compulsory)
3. Islamyat is compulsory subject for the Muslim student only which was compulsory for all the students before but was optional from class X –XII only for the students of minorities.
4. The subject of Arabic is no more a compulsory subject but an optional one. This was a compulsory subject for all the students from class I-VIII for the students belonging to all religions.
5. Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan admitted in a letter to PMTA that there are biases in the present textbooks and ensured that there are no biases in future books.
6. Students of religious minorities are appearing in the subject of Ethics class 5 and class 8 examinations being held from 2008 to onward.
7. Academic staff from the religious minorities has been somehow invited to set the paper of Civics (for non-Muslims). Prof. Anjum James Paul has set the paper of Civics (for non-Muslims) for the Intermediate Part One the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Faisalabad in the year 2007-09
8. The word “Masih”, “Masihi” or “Masihyiat” is being used now in most of the electronic and print media instead of “Esa”, “Esai” or “Esayiat” for Jesus Christ, Christian/s or Christianity.
9. Biased message of the President of Pakistan General (R) Pervez Musharraf has been totally removed from all the textbooks in which he had invited the attention of only Muslim students to acquire knowledge as he said, “The progress and development of a country depends on the quality of education of its people. It is a historical fact that the Muslims ruled the world for hundred of years on the basis of the knowledge acquired by their intellectuals, philosophers and scientists .The books written by them were of such a high standard that they served as reference books in the western universities for centuries. As long as the Muslims acted upon the Hadith, "to acquire knowledge is the duty of each Muslim male and female.” they ruled the world. Reference English Step 5, Code No. XLIV/AD, Edition Ist, Impression 19th.This message was on each and every textbook.
10. Biased part of the appeal of the Chairman Punjab Textbook Board, Lahore has been deleted “Punjab Textbook Board is your own organization and has the mandate of providing high quality but less expensive books, with the approval of Federal Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan in accordance with national curricula. These books project Islamic values, defend ideological boundaries of the country and help acquaintance with other fields of life.” Reference. English Step 5, Code No. XLIV/AD, Edition Ist, Impression 19th. This appeal is published on each and every book published by the Textbook Board, Lahore.
11. Process of the denationalization of missionary educational institutions which were nationalized during the regime of late Prime Minister Zulifqar Ali Bhutto is rapid now.
12. On request of PMTA, Vice Chancellor of Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad relaxed a one day off to the Christian students in the MA/ M.Ed workshop throughout Pakistan on the Easter Day on April, 12, 2009.
13. Topics on human rights, peace, tolerance, co-existence, forgiveness, patience, service to humanity and a very little on minorities have been added in the forthcoming textbooks.
14. According to the National Educational Policy 2009, provisions shall be made for teaching of the subject of Ethics/ Moral Education in lieu of Islamiyat to non-Muslim children and subject specific teachers shall be appointed according to the requirements.

15. There are pictures of the church, temple and Gurdwara besides mosques and related information in the subject of General Knowledge grade I which is really a great change.

16. First it was written that Pakistan is the land of Muslims but now it is written that Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and Parsees live in Pakistan in the textbook of General Knowledge grade I which is really another great change

PUBLICATION OF A WHITE PAPER ON EDUCATION IN PAKISTAN
In September 2007 a White Paper on Education in Pakistan was published. This is a document to debate religious bias, general standard of textbooks and education policies in Pakistan. There is research on 52 textbooks in the subjects of Civics, English, Ethics, Islamic Studies, Pakistan Studies, Social Studies and Urdu from grade I-XII.