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KARACHI, July 31: The need to teach civic education as a separate subject independent of other courses was stressed at a workshop organised here on Tuesday. The workshop, titled ‘Designing a Civic Education Programme,’ was held at the Aga Khan University’s Institute for Educational Development’s (IED) premises, and was attended by educators, representatives of non-governmental organisations, government functionaries and media-persons.
The preliminary findings of a survey titled ‘Current Status of Civic Education Curriculum in Pakistan’ were also presented by Prof Dr Bernadette Dean of the AKU’s Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities Programme (CRRP).
In his welcome speech, the Director of the IED, Prof Dr Mohammed Memon, linked the democratisation of society with education. He lamented that education had been largely neglected in the ‘Pakistan Vision 2030’ development plan.Dr Memon said that the workshop was held because education was getting scant attention on the national level.
He said that this was a concern for all of civil society and that society had to come up with ways, means and plans to work with the government to improve the situation, as there was no getting around the state. He added that a lot needed to be done as the current education process would not open young people’s minds.
Giving the background of the CRRP, Dr Dean said that the programme was trying to see how young people could become part of the political process as according to her, “educated young people have abdicated their responsibility from Pakistan.”
Commenting on the current media scene, she said that information was available; the question remained how young people could assess and decode the information. “We need to be clear about what we educate Pakistanis about,” she observed.
The CRRP’s study, planned earlier this year, aimed to “identify what the theoretical and empirical literature says abut civic education in general and civic education in Pakistan; to map the work being done on civic education in Pakistan by civil society organisations, educational institutions and the government and to study their impact, success and challenges.”
Some of the prominent points the survey highlights are as under.
In Pakistan, the survey says, little work has been done in the area of civic education. Though the goal of social studies/Pakistan studies is civic education, it is also a part of Urdu, English, civics (elective for classes 9-12) and Islamiat.
Thus, Dr Dean observed, a need was felt to teach civic education as a separate subject, as it was not being done justice in the current situation, which mirrored the international situation as civic education was a low priority subject in many nations of both the developed and developing worlds.
The study also claims that textbooks (through inclusions and exclusions) give the message that Islam and Pakistan are synonymous, thus only Muslims are Pakistani and though military dictatorship is not mentioned (there is) subtle promotion of a militarised state.
It also claims that the language used in textbooks entrenches bias against women, other nations and religions and people with disabilities, while textbooks promote virtues of piety and obedience, while not mentioning the virtues of justice, equality and diversity. It also observes that school and the classroom management style is authoritarian.
As for the work being done to promote civic education in the country, the survey says that there are a large number of organisations doing work in the area, mostly with marginalised groups (children, women, minorities).
There are few organisations working with schools, colleges and universities due to the belief that young people are already receiving a civic education, which, Dr Dean observed, often results in many young people receiving next to no civic education.
The survey also states that civic education of the media and civil bureaucracy is also being undertaken, with most groups focusing on raising awareness.
Dr Bernadette Dean said that civic sense and education should be linked with democracy and human rights, instead of teaching life skills or character building.
