THIS is with reference to the article ‘Cost of enforced modesty’ (June 19) which was apparently an attempt to mislead the readers about the Single National Curriculum (SNC).

At present, the SNC has been finalised only till grade V level, and, hence, there is no question of biology textbooks being printed as part of SNC. Second, no cleric has been made part of any SNC committee assigned with the task of reviewing textbooks other than those of Islamiat. It is just like having subject experts reviewing the relevant portion of any curriculum.

The said article has used misplaced arguments to criticise the government for its lack of vision regarding the future of education development. Overall, the article was an effort to malign the vision and initiative towards alleviating the educational apartheid that has been plaguing the country since the last more than seven decades.

Muhammad Rafique Tahir
Head, National Curriculum Council Secretariat
Ministry of Federal Education & Professional Training
Islamabad

(2)

THIS is with reference to the article ‘Cost of enforced modesty’ (June 19), which brought out an extremely worrying development arising in the uniform curricula being prepared for our schools. Already, our textbooks bear little contact with the real world and children and parents learn to disregard what is taught in school, because it either makes no sense or has no significance.

One wonders how far this travesty will go. Science brings clarity and sharpness to things and concepts. When science becomes irrelevant and is studied to pass examinations, things go wrong. Is that to be the uniformity of the curriculum we are aiming for?

Asghar Qadir
Fellow, Pakistan Academy of Sciences
Distinguished National Professor of the Higher Education Commission
Islamabad

ACID VIOLENCE: According to the estimates of a non-governmental organisation, at least 1,485 cases of acid attacks were reported in the country from 2007 to 2018, of which one-third involved children. Acid attack is the cruellest form of violence which has affected thousands of Pakistanis. It is distressing that despite an increasing number of incidents, the vitriolic substance is easily available at shops across the country without any check. It is high time the government banned over-the-counter sale of acid.

Mahtab Abdullatif
Turbat

STREET CRIMES: This refers to the report ‘New Karachi police chief vows to focus on controlling street crime’ (May 12). We have been reading and hearing such statements for years. Even specific promises have led to nothing. The beleaguered citizens expect the police official to walk the talk this time.

Farooq Dawood
Karachi

TRAVEL BAN: Rather than boasting on the ‘record-breaking’ remittances received from overseas Pakistanis, the government needs to focus on improving the stature of Pakistani passport, which, unfortunately, does not have a good standing, especially in countries that we consider our ‘best friends’ or ‘strategic partners’. These ‘friendly’ countries have placed a ban on travellers from Pakistan which is causing immense difficulty to those having to return to their employments. Something needs to be done in this regard.

Jawwad Qamar
Karachi

MANGO TREES: This refers to the news item ‘350 million trees planted under Ten Billion Tree Tsunami’ (June 11). Karachi, the concrete jungle, can surely house at least a billion trees in its Malir and Lyari riverbeds as well as in numerous parks currently in a barren state. We can hire thousands of daily-wagers to plant fruit-bearing trees, utilising abundantly available mango kernels before the start of monsoon. It will be a win-win situation on all counts.

S. Nayyar Iqbal Raza
Karachi

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2021