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01 February

Will the government be able to eliminate radicalism through its curriculum reforms?

There should be no doubt that the liberals have for long been pinpointing hate-speech in varying degrees used against religious and ethnic minorities in textbooks. Previous and current governments in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh  managed to address and acknowledge unintentional consequences of the certain knowledge concepts and were receptive to the ideas of progressive reforms, albeit strong resistance coming from the right-wing political and religious parties. Such reflection is also expected from the SNC project, however, there remains much to be desired for, especially when Dr. Mariam Chughtai herself is a key figure herself in developing compulsory History Curriculum for middle level students.

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21 January

The Single National Curriculum equals Indoctrination and Assimilation

The current government, led by cricketer-turned- politician Khan, uses Islamic symbols and slogans to appeal to the utopian ideals of ordinary people in its bid for control of a polarized society. This played a role in the design of the SNC, which aims to appease influential religious figures and the security lobby. Thus, it includes an emphasis on Islamic teachings and the need for a homogenous nation and Urdu as a subject, ideology, and medium in all textbooks.

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26 December

Is the state violating Right to Education of over two million students by closing low-cost private schools in Cantonment Areas

Where is Article 25-A? Can we not save Pakistan’s future? A time is not far when Pakistan will no longer be able to see any locally educated doctors, engineers, architects, pilots, scientists, teachers to run the economy. All that will be left are the children that grew into darkness and had no skills or knowledge or vocations to compete with the world. That is when it will already be too late for the state to realize the tragic mistakes it is making now by denying education to our precious children.

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03 December

Issues of academic journal “Ancient Punjab” cited references from the future

On one hand HEC is claiming that it has set up monitoring cells for research journals to uplift quality of research, however, the commission doesn’t follow its own rules. As it claims that HJRS recognises only those journals which were indexed by Scopus and Web of Science — which are international research journal indexing companies.

But HEC has recognised the Ancient Punjab in its “Y category” despite, the said journal not being indexed by these two companies. When this scribe approached the HEC to know their stance, an officer of the HEC’s media department demanded they will ask the higher authorities to respond to these questions, and after that they will inform hold further correspondence.

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30 November

Question of Indoctrination in “Free and Compulsory Education”

Indoctrination has to leave our textbooks for once and the best the state can do is to ensure that learning at formal schools is made more objective, enquiry-based, and free from all sorts of prejudices. Ideological education systems cannot be merged with formal education system, and making madrassahs system interdependent with our formal schooling system under Single National Curriculum will prove to be a disaster for Pakistan.

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28 November

What Should be the Purpose of Education? In words of Sister Zeph

At my school, our purpose is to restore the childhood of a traumatized child…we transform their fears into love…we welcome our children with music, flowers and our teachers embrace them with reassuring warmth. At my school, we never discourage our children from asking questions and we help them seek their answers. We are against corporal punishments because in my view, use of a stick means failure of a teacher. A teacher’s primary role is to develop in their child an interest for learning and this is exactly what we should aim to achieve

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16 November

Is the State violating the Fundamental Right to Education? An opinion on sealing of schools in Chiniot

Religion is being excessively used as a cover to hide many holes in our system, and it is major public distraction aimed at  keeping the conversations at bay from making the Right to Education a possibility. Pakistan needs to appropriate more budget and resources towards it if it is serious enough in securing its future. There is no other way.

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10 November

Imparting empathy and civic-sense in children (observations and learnings from an informal school-setting)

The main philosophy adapted by this informal school is to bring a meaningful learning opportunity for the children coming from the alienated groups, so the education and the related values they receive from is appealing to them and their community, and the learners of this group develop confidence in availing opportunities in life which they are aiming for.        

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27 October

Education Policies in Pakistan

Education is subordinated to the class interests of the urban, professional, English-using elite in Pakistan. For its political interests this elite has been using the name of Islam, and has strengthened the religious lobby, in the process. It has also strengthened the hold of capitalist entrepreneurs on education making for its commodification, importing corporate governance into education and devaluing the state system of education further.

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19 October

Are SNC-based textbooks also promoting discrimination against Religious Minorities?

There is a need for them to realize that a child should not be inculcated with a sense of superiority over non-Muslim peers. In fact, it would have been better if non-Muslim children were also able to read about their religious roots and practices with dignity and appreciation, instead of feeling powerless and humiliated while taking their compulsory lessons at school.

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