THE Punjab Textbook Board’s Urdu, English, Pakistan Studies and Islamiyat/Ethics textbooks are littered with various mistakes that range from altogether wrong information, misinformation and lack of updated information. These mistakes are instrumental in fanning hatred, widening rural-urban divide besides causing biases at cultural, communal, sectarian and gender levels. The PTB curriculum review committees have failed to identify the mistakes – primarily because neither they involve experts from civil society nor the elected representatives and run its activities behind closed doors.

A series of mistakes have recently been identified in 34 Urdu, English, Pakistan Studies and Islamiyat/Ethics textbooks being taught at Class-I to X level by education consultant Amir Riaz. He has published his research report on PTB textbooks titled “What are we teaching to our children?”

Mr Riaz launched his report and gave a multi-media presentation at a consultative meeting, which was attended by representatives of PTB, various NGOs, intellectuals, writers and media persons at a local hotel last week.

PTB Director (Humanities) Shahida Javaid`s statement was most interesting as she said, “If this analysis had been presented a few months back, the mistakes in textbooks for 2012 would have been removed.” She said the board would try to republish all books, which contained objectionable material against any minority as well as misquotations.

Mr Riaz said there were glaring mistakes in Urdu translation of historic Lahore Resolution 1940, Quaid-i-Azam`s speech at Decca (now Dhaka) and famous Allahbad address of Allama Muhammad Iqbal. In Class-VIII Pakistan Studies textbook, he said, the translation of 1940 Resolution was different from the words printed at Minar-i-Pakistan. He showed a slide of the text printed in the book as well as the text written on Minar-i-Pakistan.

Referring to misinformation tantamount to ignoring former prime minister Nawaz Sharif`s contribution, Mr Riaz stated that the authors did not include motorway among famous Pakistani roads in Pakistan Studies textbooks for Class-V at page-57 and Class-IX textbook (page-73).

Similarly in Pakistan Studies textbook for Class-IX and X at page-65, he said there was a chapter on Atomic Energy but the authors were neither ready to give credit to the elected prime minister nor to mention his name. He said the situation was same in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Sindh and Islamabad.

He also observed that it was astonishing that even rulers of Punjab had no time to read the curriculum once as it contained hatred material against their party. He said dictators had been praised in all textbooks which were published in an era of democracy.

Mr Riaz said the textbooks` analysis showed that less than 10 per cent content related to peace and tolerance. Citing an example, he said, there were 165 lessons in Urdu and Pakistan Studies books for Classes-VI, VII and VIII that included 58 lessons on religion including 57 on Islam. He said none of these 58 lessons carried reference to any other religion or character that reflected positivity. On a serious note, Mr Riaz stated that four out of 58 lessons spoke against certain Muslim schools of thoughts.

Referring to lack of information about Punjab for students studying PTB textbooks in Punjab, he said, all the 34 books had 871 lessons, while only 35 lessons contained information about Punjab, which was less than five per cent. Stating that the textbooks also reflected gender bias, he said the lessons excluding science, geography, environment and a part of poetry, showed that 210 lessons contained male characters, while women characters were shown only in eight lessons that constituted less than one per cent. The portrayal of women in pictures is also not suitable and tantamount to gender bias. The education consultant suggested that transparency and consultation could be the only way out to have a balance, unbiased and appropriate curriculum and textbooks. He suggested that the PTB should constitute review bodies that should have representatives from the civil society and the elected representatives.

He also suggested that the PTB should be strengthened as a regulatory body and empowered to monitor all types of textbooks being used by public and private sectors as well as madressahs.

The PTB director (Humanities) invited Mr Riaz in the review committee to explain mistakes and give suggestions to update the syllabus.

Writer and columnist Shafqat Tanvir Mirza said primary education must be imparted in mother tongue as it would help children learn easily. He said now Urdu must make room for Punjabi otherwise the tussle between the two languages would continue.

Annually, he said, some 100,000 students selected Punjabi subject in matriculation examination of Lahore Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education alone, while there was not a single teacher available in schools falling under the jurisdiction of the Lahore board.

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LAHORE College for Women University`s newly appointed Vice-Chancellor Dr Sabiha Mansoor has outlined a plan to restructure the institution to compete at home and abroad.

In her maiden speech to varsity faculty and staff members last week, Dr Mansoor stated that she had plans to establish new institutes, centres and faculties. She said committees comprising senior faculty members had been constituted to formulate rules and regulations as well as plans to establish an Institute of Visual and Design, Faculty of Management and Administrative Studies, Centre of Languages and Culture Studies, Department of Architecture, Career Counselling Centre and Institute of Women`s Leadership and Development.

The vice chancellor announced setting up of Lahore Intermediate College for Women in the university to facilitate the intermediate students and get a refined nursery for graduate and postgraduate disciplines in the institution.

Dr Mansoor said the curriculum would be revised to help empower graduates to work in practical fields.

The VC also explained various infrastructure development plans including setting up of a central library and separate air-conditioned common rooms for faculty members, students and hostels residents. She said back-up generators would also be made available to all varsity buildings so that academic activities could continue without any interruption. She said the university auditorium would also be renovated and air-conditioned, for which HEC had already allocated funds. She said the varsity`s Old Block, a great asset and heritage, would also be renovated and protected on the advice of architects and archaeologists. “The LCWU is a gem and we all need to discover it,” she added.

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THE Islami Jamiat Tulaba, Pakistan, central executive council (CEC) in its two-day meeting has finalised agenda for its much-trumpeted three-day All-Pakistan General Congregation scheduled to be held in Punjab University from Oct 15.

The CEC meeting chaired by Nazim-i-Aala Syed Abdul Rasheed decided that the congregation “Umeed Banno, Tameer Karo Sub Mil Kar Pakistan Ki” would have four sessions. The sessions have been named as – education, national, Jamiat`s history and international.

An International Education Expo will also be organised at the congregation, which will conclude with a students’ “Umeed-i-Pakistan” Million March. – mansoormalik173@hotmail.com