Persian as a mandatory subject in schools?

[EGalois]

The Persian language is central to South Asia's Muslim heritage. Pakistan was built to be a nation-state of South Asian Muslims. So why is Persian not taught in Pakistani schools? It should be treated as a classical heritage language. One can not fully appreciate Urdu literature without studying Persian literature.

If Pakistan should seek its national identity, it should be a South Asian Persianate one. In fact, many non-Muslims (Hindus, Sikhs, Christians) participated in the South Asian Persianate cultural milieu. Pakistan should revive this pan-religious cultural heritage, which is lost in India and Bangladesh.

The Persianate heritage is deeply tolerant regarding religions. Some of the best South Asian poets wrote in Persian. Allama Iqbal wrote mostly in Persian; The poems carved on the walls of Taj Mahal are in Persian; It's sad that these cultural achievements are not appreciated by today's South Asians. India and Bangladesh decide to abandon it. Pakistan should pick it up. It's a distinctive South Asian cultural identity that is historically linked to Muslims. By embracing it Pakistan can distinguish itself from India and Bangladesh, yet not forget its own South Asian, rather than Arab or Turkic identity.

Persian shouldn't be a difficult language to learn to read if one knows Urdu. Pakistani students should learn it the same way as Westerners learn Latin: to have some reading capabilities to get access to its culture heritage.

 

[Yankee-stani]

I whole heartedly support such plans but its kinda too little too late this should have been done back in 1947 when Pakistan was a infant now its too late we need to make do what we have but Persian should be added as a language of intense study

 

[Samurai_assassin]

This should have been adopted after partition. Now I doubt average Pak students would be eager to learn Persian. It's either Urdu and English.

I whole heartedly support such plans but its kinda too little too late this should have been done back in 1947 when Pakistan was infant now its too late we need to make do what we have but Persian should be added as a language of intense study

Exactly my thought.

 

[Yankee-stani]

This should have been adopted after partition. Now I doubt average Pak students would be eager to learn Persian. It's either Urdu and English.

Exactly my thought.

If the bone heads in the Ministry of Education had a mind they should add Chinese,Persian,Russian as a language of intense study as with the BRI we would be in intense contact with countries speaking those languages but ideally English is the de facto international language we should master English at this point

 

[EGalois]

I whole heartedly support such plans but its kinda too little too late this should have been done back in 1947 when Pakistan was a infant now its too late we need to make do what we have but Persian should be added as a language of intense study

It doesn't need to replace Urdu as the lingua franca, but should be treated like how Latin is treated in the West. Students should be taught to read classical Persian literature such as Rumi, Hafeez, Allama Iqbal, Saadi etc.

The Anglo-centric education policy is sacrificing long-term nation building to get some perceived short-term benefits. It de facto makes some elites who can afford an Anglocentric education more privileged at the expense of others. While at the same time, it destroys the cultural identity of a country whose origin has great cultural output.

 

[Samurai_assassin]

If the bone heads in the Ministry of Education had a mind they should add Chinese,Persian,Russian as a language of intense study as with the BRI we would be in intense contact with countries speaking those languages but ideally English is the de facto international language we should master English at this point

I'd add Turkish as well considering g we have close ties to the Turks and they are a regional power. The Pakistanis I have interacted with abroad are not fluent in English probably because they come rural areas.

 

[gangsta_rap]

It de facto makes some elites who can afford an Anglocentric education more privileged at the expense of others.

key point

 

[EGalois]

If the bone heads in the Ministry of Education had a mind they should add Chinese,Persian,Russian as a language of intense study as with the BRI we would be in intense contact with countries speaking those languages but ideally English is the de facto international language we should master English at this point

English should certainly be learned. But this is not contradictory to making Persian a subject of study.
If a Pakistani student asks, where do we come from? He or she needs to seek it from the Persianate heritage.
In Germany, for example, students learn Latin alongside with English. In Japan, students also learn classical Chinese alongside with English. It's not one or the other.
English should be taught as a foreign language, Persian as a classical heritage language. One studies English to communicate with the international, one studies Persian to better understand one's own origin.

 

[Vortex]

Put emphasis on sciences, maths, IT, about thinking etc instead of which language we should have taught.
If languages are so important, why not teach Punjabi, Sindhi, Baluchi, and all language spoken in Pakistan ? At least I would have been able to speak and understand all people in Pakistan ?

 

[Yankee-stani]

It doesn't need to replace Urdu as the lingua franca, but should be treated like how Latin is treated in the West. Students should be taught to read classical Persian literature such as Rumi, Hafeez, Allama Iqbal, Saadi etc.

The Anglo-centric education policy is sacrificing long-term nation building to get some perceived short-term benefits. It de facto makes some elites who can afford an Anglocentric education more privileged at the expense of others. While at the same time, it destroys the cultural identity of a country whose origin has great cultural output.

English should certainly be learned. But this is not contradictory to making Persian a subject of study.
If a Pakistani student asks, where do we come from? He or she needs to seek it from the Persianate heritage.

You bring great points I have long advocated for Persian studies in Pakistan but to expect Pakistani bonehead leaders to lift a finger instead ideas will always be discussed but nothing will be put forth

 

[gangsta_rap]

Put emphasis on sciences, maths, IT, about thinking etc instead of which language we should have taught.
If languages are so important, why not teach Punjabi, Sindhi, Baluchi, and all language spoken in Pakistan ? At least I would have been able to speak and understand all people in Pakistan ?

personne na demande vos idees

 

[Yankee-stani]

Put emphasis on sciences, maths, IT, about thinking etc instead of which language we should have taught.
If languages are so important, why not teach Punjabi, Sindhi, Baluchi, and all language spoken in Pakistan ? At least I would have been able to speak and understand all people in Pakistan ?

why not both

I'd add Turkish as well considering g we have close ties to the Turks and they are a regional power. The Pakistanis I have interacted with abroad are not fluent in English probably because they come rural areas.

Learn the Persian then you will get the Turkish easily yes I am Pan-Iranist and biased towards Iran lel

 

[Thorough Pro]

There are too many Pakistani regional languages that need to be taught first as optional subjects.
History is history, What future benefit would Pakistani's get by learning Persian?

 

[EGalois]

Put emphasis on sciences, maths, IT, about thinking etc instead of which language we should have taught.
If languages are so important, why not teach Punjabi, Sindhi, Baluchi, and all language spoken in Pakistan ? At least I would have been able to speak and understand all people in Pakistan ?

Not to disrespect those regional languages, but none of them carries the cultural weight of Persian. Don't underestimate the power of learning a classical language in the process of nation-building. The only other language that might be as important as Persian in South Asian history is Sanskrit. Not even Hindi carries the same cultural weight.

The lingua franca of course should be Urdu. You talk to people in other parts of the country by speaking in Urdu.

One does not learn a language well without leaning its classical literature. I've noticed that many Pakistanis speak a kind of ad hoc Urdu-English mix. If the Iranians can integrate modern vocabulary in their language, why can't Pakistanis do the same to Urdu?

 

[Samurai_assassin]

There are too many Pakistani regional languages that need to be taught first as optional subjects.
History is history, What future benefit would Pakistani's get by learning Persian?

Good point I'd stick to English.