PESHAWAR: The Islami Nizamat-i-Taleem Pakistan, a cluster of private school unions, has urged the government to withdraw the decision of the holding of fifth grade examinations under the board of intermediate and secondary educations and restore Islamiyat teachers at primary level.

Addressing a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Thursday, Islami Nizamat-i-Taleem Pakistan director Hidayat Khan said the government should restore Islamiyat and Pakistan Studies subjects in Grade II courses in all schools and include Islamic material in textbooks.

He said the government recently removed all teachers of Islamiyat from primary schools, while Islamiyat and Pakistan Studies books were removed from first and second grade courses.

“I think that taking such steps is meant to negate the ideology and Constitution of Pakistan. The exclusion of Islamiyat and Pakistan Studies books from course can be challenged in the court of law,” he said.

Mr. Hidayat Khan said educationists across the world gave preference to primary education for children as it helped build their personality. Accompanied by regional director of the system Mehfooz Khan and IES Peshawar director Imanullah Khan Rohani, he said keeping children away from the basic education of Islamiyat and Pakistan Studies was unjustified.

Mr. Hidayat said the government had decided fifth grade examinations would be held by boards though developed countries didn’t take external examinations of primary students.

“Ironically, an alternative of baseline assessment has been adopted here to ascertain children’s ability,” he said.

Mr. Hidayat asked the government to review its decision regarding the fifth grade examination through educational boards and warned if the demand wasn’t met, schools would protest.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2016