1
Their findings have been uniform: textbooks in our public schools and
colleges inculcate prejudice against non-Muslims who are depicted as
the enemies of Islam. The books also pit one Islamic denomination
against another, resulting in sectarian hatred and violence. It is a
matter of grave concern that despite much discussion in public forums,
many of these textbooks have not been revised or purged of the content
found to be offensive and harmful.
This policy brief attempts to temporally trace the development of
the school curricula and textbooks in Pakistan with special note being
taken of the current curricula guidelines. The brief also seeks to
analyse whether the textbooks are the only source of extremism or are
other sources of the evil being overlooked. Lastly, the brief makes
some recommendations regarding how the problem can be addressed.
The curricula and textbooks
It is ironic that during the Afghan war in the 1980s the United
States, which backed the Afghan groups fighting the Soviet Union,
contributed significantly to the biased content of the textbooks. It
is a well-reported fact that three decades ago, American-supplied
primers in the refugee camps of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which was called
NWFP back then, had such content as "Jeem se Jihad [J for
jihad]" and "Kaaf se Kaafir [K for kafir]". This was part of
the attempt to glorify religion in order to mobilise the Pashtun youth
against the "godless" ideology of communism.
Within Pakistan, as part of the military dictator General Zia
ul-Haq’s Islamisation process, special attention was paid by the
general’s government to revise the textbooks and help create a mindset
that corresponded with Zia ul-Haq’s "Project Islamise Pakistan".
Today’s extremists are yesterday’s children that were raised on a diet
of these textbooks.
After 9/11, the US’s priorities changed and it began to take
interest in Pakistan’s education system. The US policymakers believed
that the schooling geared towards creating an extremist and
unquestioning mindset was at the root of Pakistan’s extremist
violence. Education reform was proposed as the only way out. Much
effort and money has since gone into reforming the seminaries and also
reviewing school syllabi. A recent report on the same issue reads:
"Public school textbooks used by all children often were found to have
a strong Islamic orientation while Pakistan’s religious minorities
were either referenced derogatively or omitted altogether."2 The
report stresses the need for "education reform incorporating themes of
religious tolerance".3 This, according to the report, is the only way
to develop a tolerant society that values religious freedom and
religious diversity.
There has been a deep realisation among the liberal-minded
academics (some are the authors of the studies noted below) that the
flaws in our textbooks are destroying generations of children. There
are some ground realities that must however be pointed out.
Guidelines for a reformed curriculum and why they have failed
In 2006 the federal ministry of education posted guidelines for a
reformed curriculum on its website.4 These indicated the changes the
government aimed at introducing into the content of the education that
was being imparted in the public schools. While much still needs to be
done, it appears that the framework at least has been somewhat
revised.
The emphasis now lies on greater tolerance and understanding to be
shown for non-Muslims and their beliefs. The new curricula for Urdu,
Pakistan studies (social studies before children graduate to Pakistan
studies) and Islamiyat reflect some of these positive trends.5 Thus
the social studies curricula now include subjects such as peace and
conflict and suggest that students should be asked to identify methods
for conflict resolution; the making of a good citizen and his or her
role and responsibility; and knowledge about environment, population
and the histories of other nations.
The same is true of the Islamiyat curriculum. It defines the
learning outcomes as follows: the student gets to understand the basic
tenets of the faith, learns about the prominent personalities of
Islamic history, the value of truth, justice, tolerance, piety,
equality, etiquette and ethics. Along with subjects such as belief in
the unity of god, prophethood, etc, jihad gets a passing reference as
one of the basic principles of Islam with no details given except the
definition of the concept and its various forms.
The reforms broadly point in the right direction. However, the
effort still lacks specifics and falls short of the comprehensiveness
required to address the problems that have become entrenched in the
system over the past three decades. The guidelines are rather bland
and very general, which leaves much room for the authors of textbooks
to exercise their discretion. In some cases, the authors included
material that should have best been omitted. The result is a product
still inadequate for inculcating civic values that have been
downplayed and in some cases, decried as belonging to the secular
domain.
Therefore our main concern regarding the implementation of the
guidelines remains valid. Without doubting the government’s
earnestness in trying to reform the syllabi, it is important to note
that the current changes are not only inadequate but also fail to
uphold the intent of reform, as the shifts are neither substantive nor
pervasive.
The major weakness in the new approach is therefore the
non-implementation of the spirit that had prompted a change in the
curricula guidelines. This can be interpreted as a lack of genuine
commitment on the part of the authorities. The loose drafting of the
curricula also allows private publishers much leeway in how the
curricula are to be interpreted. This development is significant
because the private sector’s role has been enhanced in the Textbook
Policy of 2006.
Social/Pakistan studies: The curricula posted on the website of
the federal ministry of education take note of what the students’
‘Learning Outcomes’ are aimed at and what the books should aim to
develop in the students. However, there is insufficient emphasis on
what is undesirable and should be avoided at all costs. The social
studies guidelines for preparing textbooks instruct the author "not to
use disparaging, patronising language or stereotypes about any
religion, ethnic group, sex, for people of differing ability or any
other community". The curricula rightly describe their aim as to
"prepare young people as citizens able to participate actively and
responsibly in a democratic society".
How do the social/Pakistan studies textbooks read? There have been
some basic changes. A lot of material on what was seen as jihad and
the supremacy of the Muslims over non-Muslims has been discreetly
removed. The new syllabi have also added many chapters on a variety of
issues like information about natural resources, population and
landmark events from history. The tenets of an Islamic state have been
defined but the claims of religious superiority have been toned down.
There is a lot on the Islamic world with the ummah [global Muslim
community] being regarded as a key pillar in the empowerment of the
Muslims. However, here too the changes fall short of a total
transformation. The ubiquitous emphasis on ideology and nazariya-e-Pakistan
(ideology of Pakistan) continues to dominate the tone of the texts and
no words are minced in attributing all the evils that ever befell
Pakistan to "Hindus". While the non-Muslims have been spared somewhat
in the social/Pakistan studies books, India and the Hindus still have
to bear the brunt of the state’s historical narrative.
In a chapter on the ideology of Pakistan, students of Grade VIII
are taught: "The Hindu belief was that only a Hindu nation could live
in the Indian subcontinent. Other nations should become a part of the
Hindu nation or leave India. Many Hindu extremist parties such as the
Arya Samaj were working against the Muslims since the nineteenth
century and even fifty years after the creation of Pakistan, these
organisations continue working to erase the Muslims’ existence from
the region."6
The emergence of Bangladesh has been squarely attributed to Indira
Gandhi’s regional ambitions and the rebellion by the Hindus of East
Pakistan. This is what the students of Grades IX and X are told by a
National Book Foundation textbook: "As soon as the Pakistani army
emerged from the barracks to restore law and order, the province burst
into an uprising. Hundreds of thousands of rebels, the majority of
whom were East Pakistani Hindus, crossed the border into India where
they were welcomed and allowed to live in India".7 It is clear that
this kind of writing will consolidate prejudice against India.
Urdu: The guidelines for the Urdu curricula do not aim to
inculcate spirituality, patriotism and morality among the students.
The aim is rightly stated to be to teach the Urdu language and
acquaint the students with the great authors and poets of the language
but this is not what the textbooks actually do. They sermonise and
preach. The lessons do not correspond to the guidelines. The content
analysis of just one textbook – Sindh Textbook Board’s Urdu textbook
for Grade VIII – is an example of what a book of this nature should
not be. It lists 21 names associated with the writing, preparation,
editing and checking of a textbook that comprises 40 chapters, 10 of
which are poems. Apart from about five poems on a general theme by
known poets and five or so prose lessons that are not impregnated with
indoctrination (for example, one on girl guides and another on
computers), the book is a collection of writings that drive home the
importance of Islam, ideology, nationalism and anti-India sentiments.
Mercifully, some of the good literature has found its way into the
Sindh Textbook Board textbook for Grades IX and X. With eminent
writers and editors on the panel, this is an anthology of works by the
luminaries of Urdu literature. Permission to reproduce old literary
works has been sought from the copyright holders.
Selecting 18 names from the wealth of literature, as the book
contains, can be a daunting task. But it is intriguing that no
prominent writers from the Progressive Writers’ Association figure in
the list. Faiz, Manto, Ghulam Abbas, Ismat Chughtai and others are
absent from the list. Students are also subliminally given the message
that women cannot achieve the heights of perfection that only men can.
Not a single female writer or poet graces the pages of the Sindh
Textbook Board’s Urdu reader for Class IX and X.
The Urdu textbooks for Punjab for Grades IX and X (published in
March 2011) have also been improved. More material has been included
from works of Urdu literary writers though only two women writers have
been included as compared to 51 others (men). Again, there is a marked
tilt towards nationalism and religion that is noticeable.
Urdu books from the other provinces could also do with more
improvement. This study could not ascertain if all of them had been
revised, since many of them do not carry a date of publication.
Islamiyat: The Islamiyat textbooks could have been more
problematic in the context of violence as stipulated by the concept of
jihad. Perhaps to avoid controversy, identical texts by the same
authors and editors have been used in all the provinces. Jihad has not
been excluded but an effort has been made to tone down the
connotations of violence that it has come to be associated with. A "shaheed"
is glorified for his "sacrifice" but the use of violence has not been
idolised and has been qualified by specifying a number of governing
conditions before jihad can be undertaken; for example, jihad has been
described as an organised effort that cannot be made by individuals on
an ad hoc basis. An Islamic state alone is qualified to launch jihad
and its aim should be to rescue oppressed Muslims from their state of
oppression. These efforts are in line with the need of the time for a
consensus (ijtihad) to be worked out to redefine the concept of
jihad in order to remove from it its association with violence.
Source of extremism
The challenge to reform education does not just relate to the
quality of the learning material but also involves pedagogy. The books
do pose a problem but the bigger problem is how teachers transmit
knowledge and information to the students. This is crucial. If the
books are dogmatic in their approach and do not explain or discuss
their content, it may not really be the only key factor contributing
to the impact – good or bad – that is being transmitted to the
children’s minds. A recent report demonstrates that the views of the
students and their teachers on an issue are not always identical.8 In
other words, the teachers do not manage to fully transmit their own
knowledge and opinion to their students. This then raises the question
of where and how children acquire and develop their ideas.
Another grave problem relates to the use of "keys" (solved question
papers) that are sold freely in the market. Empirical evidence
suggests that many students rely solely on rote learning of these
solved papers to pass examinations. This is another indication of the
fact that examinations fail to test students for analytical skills.
Most solved papers reviewed for this paper boasted claims of being
compiled by the "Panel of Board Paper Setters".
Though these keys allege to follow the new scheme – something of a
contradiction in itself, since the content comprises papers from the
last five years – in some places, discrepancies have slipped in. For
instance, one of them states: "Jihad is the duty of a Muslim.
According to the holy prophet (PBUH), a day spent on the warfront in
the service of god is better than getting the whole world. Jihad alone
can end war and conflict and bring peace."9 Another states: "Reasons
for the separation of East Pakistan: In East Pakistan, the education
sector was entirely under the control of Hindus. They incited the
students against the western wing by their lectures and writings.
India, Russia and America waited to split Pakistan. Their successful
schemes transformed East Pakistan into Bangladesh."10
In addition to the content, one of the most depressing facts about
the textbooks is their unattractive format and dull style of writing.
Scores of studies internationally have stressed the need for making
textbooks attractive to students. This trend has eluded the textbooks
in Pakistan. While the new guidelines seek to bring change and reform
education, the content of the textbooks still has to catch up with and
reflect this spirit.
The problem of formulating appropriate content is further
compounded by nuances such as the teachers themselves being products
of the old, prejudiced system. With such educators handling the
transmittal of knowledge, the message of tolerance, peace and
broad-mindedness is not really getting across.
One would not question the logic of the exercise to identify biases
in the textbooks. With religion being so strongly entrenched in
people’s thinking, it is not difficult to understand why the textbooks
are so pervasively indoctrinated. However, it is also important to
realise that exploring textbooks alone does not solve the problem in
its entirety and efforts are needed to identify other sources through
which these biases propagating religiosity are seeping into Pakistani
society.
In terms of institutional actors, the mosque leaders, more than the
madrassas, have been identified as a major area for policy shift. The
target group of madrassas is limited to their own students that
comprise less than two per cent of the total school enrolment in the
country. Yet the madrassas indirectly have a wider reach because their
products end up manning the pulpits in the mosques. The sermons or ‘khutbas’
they deliver in the mosques, which are pretty well attended,
contribute to spreading a xenophobic world view. Some of them preach
against the "other", which may be a demographic denomination, sex or
religion. These widely disseminated messages are responsible for the
proliferation of the obscurantist elements in Pakistani society and
their resultant hold on power that stalls a move towards reform.
Notes
1 AH Nayyar and Ahmed Salim (2003), The Subtle Subversion: The
State of Curricula and Textbooks in Pakistan, Islamabad, SDPI, and
Dr Tariq Rahman (2005), Denizens of Alien Worlds: A Study of
Education, Inequality and Polarisation in Pakistan, Karachi, OUP.
2 Azhar Hussain (ICRD) and Ahmad Salim with Arif Naveed (SDPI)
(2011), Connecting the Dots: Education and Religious Discrimination
in Pakistan: A Study of Public Schools and Madrassas, Washington,
United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, p. 10.
3 Ibid, p. 11.
4 www.moe.gov.pk
5 The books have that been scrutinised for this paper are the Urdu,
social/Pakistan studies and Islamiyat textbooks for Grades VI to X
published by the Textbook Boards of Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab and
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
6 Muashrati Uloom for Grade VIII, Sindh Textbook Board, p.
97.
7 Prof Abdul Qadir Khan (2011), Mutala-i-Pakistan for Grades IX
and X, Islamabad, National Book Foundation, p. 62.
8 Connecting the Dots, op cit, p. 27.
9 General Group Solved Papers, Feroz Nasir Publishers, p.
72.
10 Mutala-i-Pakistan, Faisal Model Test Papers,
Karachi, Faisal Publishers, p. 62.
