PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has begun restoring school and college curriculum by including the lessons deleted by the previous government.

The relevant officials said during the last government, lessons tending to create a sense of nationalism and those with positive impact of Islamic history and culture were deleted from textbooks.

Provincial information minister Mushtaq Ghani told Dawn that the current textbooks were printed by the previous government and that the current government learned about them only after they’re introduced in schools and colleges.

“The present government has restored almost 90 per cent of the lessons regarding Islam, ideology and nationalism with more details in textbooks,” he said.

The minister said next year, the students would be taught a changed curriculum.

Different governments have changed the contents of textbooks in line with their policies.

Minister says students will be taught a ‘changed’ curriculum next year

“We are determined to design books in a manner that they depict local culture and religion and guide students in a right way,” he said.

Sources in the education department said some changes in school and college textbooks weren’t reflective of religion, geography and Pakistan’s ideology.

The curriculum taught at schools and colleges since April 2012 is supported by international donor agencies, including DFID UK and GIZ Germany.

According to the sources, Kashmir has been deleted from the map of Pakistan, whereas in some lessons, it has even been shown as part of India.

“The old Pakistan Study book of class IV which carried the image of Pakistani map has been replaced with another Pakistani map on page 6, wherein Kashmir hasn’t been shown as part of Pakistan. On page 9 of the same book, Kashmir has been shown as part of India instead of Pakistan. Kashmir has disappeared from Pakistani map printed on page 24,” a source said.

The sources said essays on Prophet Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him), caliphs and saints had been replaced by lessons on local scholars, poets and politicians on the new book’s pages 36-40.

Also, the image of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah has been deleted from the title page of Social Study book for class 5th.

According to them, the first lesson regarding the difference in Muslim and Hindu civilisations and Pakistan’s ideology in context of Kashmir issue has been removed as the new version has a lesson on page 46 wherein Kashmir issue has been highlighted in vague manner.

On page 46 of the book, the new course has described Kashmir issue in the context of the division of Germany and the dropping of atomic bomb on Japan by the US.

Also, the students of fifth class have been subjected to confusion by mentioning the impact of communism, Rudolf Hitler and Mussolini on the world history. Essays on Marco Polo, Ibne Batoota, Vasco Da Gama and Neil Armstrong have also been made part of the book.

The Class 9’s old science book had autobiographies of eight Muslim scientists but the new one has those of only three. Names of three Pakistani scientists haven’t not been included in the new book.

The Urdu book for first year doesn’t have lessons about the life of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), while essay on Jabber bin Hayan and poems highlighting the status of Muslim, Mujahideen and Iqbal’s poems such as Shaheen and Rubiaat are missing from the new book.

Most interestingly, a handbook called READER, which is taught to the beginners at schools, declares Sir Aga Khan the greatest leader of Pakistan Movement.

Lessons highlighting Pakistani culture and nationalism and carrying information about respected religious scholars and warriors have been excluded from Class 7, 8 and 9 books.

According to sources, in new books, pictures representing Muslim heritage have been dominated by those with other cultures and even the dress of adults and children is western.

Pictures representing Muslim heritage have been dominated by those with other cultures. Even the dress of adults and children shown in the book is western.

Almost all pictures in English textbook have jeans and boy cut hair style for girls and women.

When contacted, head of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa directorate of curriculum Bashir Hussain Shah said changes in the curriculum were made from 2006 to 2009 and that the new textbooks were introduced in April 2012.

He said the books had some clerical mistakes, which had been corrected.

Shah said the old stuff would be made part of the curriculum again in the next year.

Published in Dawn, November 16th , 2014