PESHAWAR: The political governments have their own motives when they try to do or try to do away with changes or improvements in curriculum which form the basis of textbooks taught in the public schools but it is for the first time that chief of bureaucracy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has taken an initiative that could help teach the children what is beyond just textbooks.

Chief Secretary Azam Khan has issued a directive that may have far-reaching effects in society as well as primary education of children if formally included in the curriculum taught in schools.

In a recent meeting with the education department, the chief secretary directed the officials to include some basic and important topics of civic education to be taught to children to become a better citizen.

While the formalities to include these topics in curriculum would take some time as it is a long procedure, the official directed education department to start discussing and teaching civic education in schools in free or extra-curricular classes immediately.

Since long, many experts and educationists had been debating the Pakistani textbooks and their content and pointing out these textbooks taught in public schools were replete with topics filling young minds with bias, hate, intolerance and even half truths about history.

In such public sector schools, there has been little focus so far on education beyond textbooks. The schoolchildren at primary level don’t have civics -- the study of rights and duties of a citizen. It is an optional subject in the college.

Perhaps lack of civic education at primary level is one of several reasons that even many educated people behave no different than a person, who has been dropped out of school, when in public.

Interestingly, some basic things were included in the list of topics that the chief secretary wanted the education department to focus for future inclusion in curriculum and immediately start teaching in extra-curricular class. It doesn’t need specialised training for teachers or any equipment or funds. It just needs a teacher with right mind to do it.

The education department was given a list of topics to teach children some basic things like not throwing garbage or urinating on the road or in public places; not writing abusive language on the walls or doors of public toilets; standing in queue at public places when they have to; observing silence at places like hospital, library or bus station; abstaining from smoking, observing cleanliness and throwing garbage in bins; treating women, children and old people with respect; not parking vehicles at ‘no parking area’; avoiding speeding; not talking trash especially at public places; observing traffic rules; using footpath while walking on the road; not playing loud music at public places; not stealing stuff of others; showing respect for teachers; helping the poor; smiling and greeting others; sitting in a civilised manner; wearing decent dress; observing manners while eating; not polluting and wasting water; avoiding engaging in arguments; not wasting food; taking care of the sick; thinking positively; being kind to animals; taking part in sports and exercise regularly and the list goes on.

To many these topics might be nothing new or some might not even think it is important enough to teach these topics in a separate time during school hours. However, these very basic things can be the basis of personality of the people being produced by the public sector schools. A short talk by a teacher on each of these topics with his or her students -- if made mandatory as the chief secretary directed -- could remove the imperfections due to the politicised curriculum that is taught in the schools.

As known educationist Dr Pervez Hoodboy rightly said: “Our education does not prioritise the production of well-informed, socially responsible, thoughtful civic-minded individuals…,” instead of teaching children half-truths about past or violent behaviour in the name of jihad, the few topics teaching children how to socialise or be a responsible citizen could be the seeds of a change that could be possible in just few years if we start taking the lesson seriously just now.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2017