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'People of other religions busy in useless activities during religious festivals': So say Pakistan's school books
LAHORE: National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) has conducted a content analysis of the revised curriculum of Punjab and Sindh textbooks for 2012-2013 for inclusion of biased and discriminatory content against religions other than Islam.
The findings reveal excessive use of the words Hindu, Christian and Jew while discussing the history of Pakistan and Islamic Studies, which portray the said faiths in a negative light.
For example, an Islamic Studies book of Sindh board for class 5, in a chapter on Eid (religious festivals), includes a line saying, People of other religions usually stay busy in useless activities during their religious festivals. There is no concept of God or submission among them.
The chapter Pakistan, an Islamic State in the same textbook of Punjab board includes this line: Hindus harmed Muslims in every way.
The content analysis has been published in Urdu to generate a debate on how the inclusion of discriminatory content in curriculum sows seeds of hatred, and to ensure that the review reaches maximum people.
Number of chapters with biased content
PUNJAB:
Class 1: General Knowledge 1 out of 30 chapters (3.33%)
Class 5: Pakistan Studies -1 out of 11 chapters (18%), Urdu 2 out of 33 chapters (6.06%)
Class 6: History 2 out of 5 chapters (20%)
Class 7: Pakistan Studies 1 out of 10 chapters (10%)
Class 8: Urdu 3 out of 43 chapters (6.9%), Pakistan Studies 4 out of 13 chapters (30.76%)
Class 9 and 10: Urdu Grammar 3 out of 9 chapters (33.3%)
Class 9: Pakistan Studies 3 out of 4 chapters (75%)
Class 10: Urdu compulsory 1 out of 32 chapters (3.12%), Pak Studies 3 out of 10 chapters (30%)
Total number of chapters with biased and discriminatory content: 28 out of 204, which make up for 13.7% of the content.
SINDH:
Class 2: Urdu 1 out of 39 (2.6%)
Class 5: Islamic Studies 3 out of 4 (75%)
Class 6: Islamic Studies 1 out of 5 (20%), Urdu 3 out of 33 (9.09%)
Class 7: Pakistan Studies 2 out of 9 (22.2%), Islamic Studies 2 out of 5 (40%)
Class 8: Urdu 7 out of 40 (17.5%), Pakistan Studies 1 out of 9 (11.1%)
Class 9 and 10: Urdu 1 out of 25 (4%), Pakistan Studies 1 out of 10 (10%)
Total number of chapters with discriminatory content: 22 out of 179, which make up for 12% of the content of curriculum.
Comparison between revised curricula of 2009-11 and 2012-2013
SINDH:
The NCJP analysed that the syllabus being taught at government schools in Sindh includes a higher number of mentions which can be categorised as discriminatory. Number of chapters with discriminatory content in 2009-11 was 11, but in 2012-13 there are 22.
The marked increase is due to the addition of mentioned content in syllabus of Urdu for classes 9, 10, 8, 5, 6. However, the Islamic Studies book of class 7 and Pakistan Studies of class 8 do not include the discriminatory content from the 2009-2011.
PUNJAB:
In Punjab, the number of chapters with discrimination towards minorities has increased from 11 in 2009-11 to 22 in 2012-13.
The analysis shows that in 2009, the number of lines with religious bias was 45 and in 2012 the number is 122. Urdu and Pakistan Studies syllabus for classes 10, 9, 8 and 7 show a marked increase in discriminatory content.
In 2009, Urdu and Pakistan Studies books of the said classes included 15 lines with discrimination towards religious minorities, but in 2012, the number of such lines went up to 86, the NCJP reveals. Islamic Studies and Urdu syllabus include more content with religious bias. The Islamic Studies textbook previously did not include chapters with such content but now have three chapters each.
Recommendations
The content analysis recommends that students should be taught the role of religious minorities in Pakistans creation. Religious teachings should ideally be passed on to children at home through families.
In case, it is impossible for the state to exclude Islamic Studies from school curriculum, then the minority children should have a right to religious teachings as well, as per the Article 20 and 22 of Constitution of Pakistan. Therefore, the latter should be allowed to study teachings of their respective faiths instead of ethics.
‘People of other religions busy in useless activities during religious festivals’: So say Pakistan’s school books – The Express Tribune
Hate content in textbooks has increased since 2009
LAHORE:
Hate content in textbooks used in the Punjab has increased from ‘45 lines in 2009 to 122 in 2012’, a content analysis report published by the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) said on Thursday. The report titled Education or Promotion of Hatred was distributed at a conference, Biases in Textbooks and Education Policy, organised by the NCJP on Thursday.
The study examined 22 textbooks for the academic year 2012-13 in the Punjab and Sindh from classes 1 to 10.
The report says that one of the 30 chapters in the general knowledge textbooks for class 1 has content advocating intolerance. It says there has been a ‘marked increase’ in hate content in the curricula of classes 7 to 10.
In 2009-2011, it says, 12 chapters in various textbooks at these levels contained hate material. The number of such chapters has increased to 33.
As many as seven lessons with hate content are part of the 8th class Urdu curriculum for 2012-2013, compared to none in 2009, it says. It also says said that the number of such lessons in the Pakistan studies textbooks for classes 9 and 10 had increased to three in 2012 from none in 2009. It says that hate lessons that were part of the class 6 social studies and class 7 Islamiat books in 2009 had been excluded from the 2012 curricula.
Speaking at the launch Dr Mehdi Hasan, the School of Media and Communication dean at the Beaconhouse National University, said Muslims posed a greater danger to their fellow Muslims then to non Muslims in Pakistan.
He said, seminaries, where less than 4 per cent of the Pakistani children studied in Pakistan, did not pose a greater threat than schools, where hate material was being taught to students as young as to be in class 1.
He said, “Teaching students that a certain religion teaches ‘bad things’ is not just a violation of human rights but also a severe ethical violation.”
Dr Hasan said that a religious state was not a democratic state. He said that Pakistan had been established through a democratic process.
Wajahat Masood, an assistant professor at BNU, said future generations will likely judge the present as ‘sub-human and insensitive’.
He said hate content and distortion of history was evident in curricula as well as in Pakistani literature. Masood said that sectarian and religious discrimination should be recognised as ‘vulgar’ and discouraged.
Irfan Mufti, deputy director at the South Asia Partnership Pakistan, said that hate content in school syllabi spoke volume of an intolerant society.
“Hate content will turn our children into intolerant individuals,” he warned.
Dr Baela Raza Jamil, director of programmes at the Idara-i-Taleem-O-Aagahi highlighted the Compulsory Education Act that was passed recently by the Senate for Islamabad. She said the Act had failed to mention religion as a reason for which no discrimination would be allowed in provision of education.
‘She said after the devolution of powers to the provinces, each province was responsible for regulating its curricula.
Dr AH Nayyar, visiting professor at the Lahore University of Management Sciences, regretted that many such reports had been issued previously, but the matters had become worse instead of improving.
NCJP Executive Director Peter Jacob regretted that textbooks were being used to promote hatred in the country.
“Religious discrimination cannot be eliminated unless people working for it are demotivated,” he said.
School curricula:
LAHORE: National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) has conducted a content analysis of the revised curriculum of Punjab and Sindh textbooks for 2012-2013 for inclusion of biased and discriminatory content against religions other than Islam.
The findings reveal excessive use of the words Hindu, Christian and Jew while discussing the history of Pakistan and Islamic Studies, which portray the said faiths in a negative light.
For example, an Islamic Studies book of Sindh board for class 5, in a chapter on Eid (religious festivals), includes a line saying, People of other religions usually stay busy in useless activities during their religious festivals. There is no concept of God or submission among them.
The chapter Pakistan, an Islamic State in the same textbook of Punjab board includes this line: Hindus harmed Muslims in every way.
The content analysis has been published in Urdu to generate a debate on how the inclusion of discriminatory content in curriculum sows seeds of hatred, and to ensure that the review reaches maximum people.
Number of chapters with biased content
PUNJAB:
Class 1: General Knowledge 1 out of 30 chapters (3.33%)
Class 5: Pakistan Studies -1 out of 11 chapters (18%), Urdu 2 out of 33 chapters (6.06%)
Class 6: History 2 out of 5 chapters (20%)
Class 7: Pakistan Studies 1 out of 10 chapters (10%)
Class 8: Urdu 3 out of 43 chapters (6.9%), Pakistan Studies 4 out of 13 chapters (30.76%)
Class 9 and 10: Urdu Grammar 3 out of 9 chapters (33.3%)
Class 9: Pakistan Studies 3 out of 4 chapters (75%)
Class 10: Urdu compulsory 1 out of 32 chapters (3.12%), Pak Studies 3 out of 10 chapters (30%)
Total number of chapters with biased and discriminatory content: 28 out of 204, which make up for 13.7% of the content.
SINDH:
Class 2: Urdu 1 out of 39 (2.6%)
Class 5: Islamic Studies 3 out of 4 (75%)
Class 6: Islamic Studies 1 out of 5 (20%), Urdu 3 out of 33 (9.09%)
Class 7: Pakistan Studies 2 out of 9 (22.2%), Islamic Studies 2 out of 5 (40%)
Class 8: Urdu 7 out of 40 (17.5%), Pakistan Studies 1 out of 9 (11.1%)
Class 9 and 10: Urdu 1 out of 25 (4%), Pakistan Studies 1 out of 10 (10%)
Total number of chapters with discriminatory content: 22 out of 179, which make up for 12% of the content of curriculum.
Comparison between revised curricula of 2009-11 and 2012-2013
SINDH:
The NCJP analysed that the syllabus being taught at government schools in Sindh includes a higher number of mentions which can be categorised as discriminatory. Number of chapters with discriminatory content in 2009-11 was 11, but in 2012-13 there are 22.
The marked increase is due to the addition of mentioned content in syllabus of Urdu for classes 9, 10, 8, 5, 6. However, the Islamic Studies book of class 7 and Pakistan Studies of class 8 do not include the discriminatory content from the 2009-2011.
PUNJAB:
In Punjab, the number of chapters with discrimination towards minorities has increased from 11 in 2009-11 to 22 in 2012-13.
The analysis shows that in 2009, the number of lines with religious bias was 45 and in 2012 the number is 122. Urdu and Pakistan Studies syllabus for classes 10, 9, 8 and 7 show a marked increase in discriminatory content.
In 2009, Urdu and Pakistan Studies books of the said classes included 15 lines with discrimination towards religious minorities, but in 2012, the number of such lines went up to 86, the NCJP reveals. Islamic Studies and Urdu syllabus include more content with religious bias. The Islamic Studies textbook previously did not include chapters with such content but now have three chapters each.
Recommendations
The content analysis recommends that students should be taught the role of religious minorities in Pakistans creation. Religious teachings should ideally be passed on to children at home through families.
In case, it is impossible for the state to exclude Islamic Studies from school curriculum, then the minority children should have a right to religious teachings as well, as per the Article 20 and 22 of Constitution of Pakistan. Therefore, the latter should be allowed to study teachings of their respective faiths instead of ethics.
‘People of other religions busy in useless activities during religious festivals’: So say Pakistan’s school books – The Express Tribune
Hate content in textbooks has increased since 2009
LAHORE:
Hate content in textbooks used in the Punjab has increased from ‘45 lines in 2009 to 122 in 2012’, a content analysis report published by the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) said on Thursday. The report titled Education or Promotion of Hatred was distributed at a conference, Biases in Textbooks and Education Policy, organised by the NCJP on Thursday.
The study examined 22 textbooks for the academic year 2012-13 in the Punjab and Sindh from classes 1 to 10.
The report says that one of the 30 chapters in the general knowledge textbooks for class 1 has content advocating intolerance. It says there has been a ‘marked increase’ in hate content in the curricula of classes 7 to 10.
In 2009-2011, it says, 12 chapters in various textbooks at these levels contained hate material. The number of such chapters has increased to 33.
As many as seven lessons with hate content are part of the 8th class Urdu curriculum for 2012-2013, compared to none in 2009, it says. It also says said that the number of such lessons in the Pakistan studies textbooks for classes 9 and 10 had increased to three in 2012 from none in 2009. It says that hate lessons that were part of the class 6 social studies and class 7 Islamiat books in 2009 had been excluded from the 2012 curricula.
Speaking at the launch Dr Mehdi Hasan, the School of Media and Communication dean at the Beaconhouse National University, said Muslims posed a greater danger to their fellow Muslims then to non Muslims in Pakistan.
He said, seminaries, where less than 4 per cent of the Pakistani children studied in Pakistan, did not pose a greater threat than schools, where hate material was being taught to students as young as to be in class 1.
He said, “Teaching students that a certain religion teaches ‘bad things’ is not just a violation of human rights but also a severe ethical violation.”
Dr Hasan said that a religious state was not a democratic state. He said that Pakistan had been established through a democratic process.
Wajahat Masood, an assistant professor at BNU, said future generations will likely judge the present as ‘sub-human and insensitive’.
He said hate content and distortion of history was evident in curricula as well as in Pakistani literature. Masood said that sectarian and religious discrimination should be recognised as ‘vulgar’ and discouraged.
Irfan Mufti, deputy director at the South Asia Partnership Pakistan, said that hate content in school syllabi spoke volume of an intolerant society.
“Hate content will turn our children into intolerant individuals,” he warned.
Dr Baela Raza Jamil, director of programmes at the Idara-i-Taleem-O-Aagahi highlighted the Compulsory Education Act that was passed recently by the Senate for Islamabad. She said the Act had failed to mention religion as a reason for which no discrimination would be allowed in provision of education.
‘She said after the devolution of powers to the provinces, each province was responsible for regulating its curricula.
Dr AH Nayyar, visiting professor at the Lahore University of Management Sciences, regretted that many such reports had been issued previously, but the matters had become worse instead of improving.
NCJP Executive Director Peter Jacob regretted that textbooks were being used to promote hatred in the country.
“Religious discrimination cannot be eliminated unless people working for it are demotivated,” he said.
School curricula:
