Pakistan Christian Post
September 14, 2009
An Open Letter to Prime Minster of Pakistan on Education Policy 2009, by Prof. Anjum James Paul, Chairman PMTA
To Mr. Yousaf Raza Gilani
Prime Minister of Pakistan
Prime Minister’s Secretariat
Islamabad.
Subject: COMMENTS ON THE BIASED EDUCATION POLICY 2009
Honourable Mr. Yousaf Raza Gilani,
Greetings and well wishes!
Pakistan Minorities Teachers’ Association (PMTA) flays National Education Policy(NEP) 2009 approved by the cabinet on September 9, 2009 as this education policy violates the address of the Father of the Nation, Quaid-e- Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah that he delivered in the First Constituent Assembly on August 11, 1947, Constitution of Pakistan 1973, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, The United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Convention on the Rights of the Child. This policy is a clear cut sign of social, educational and religious assassination of minorities. The oppressed and suppressed students of minorities will be forcibly taught Islamic teachings in the social and physical sciences subjects as well. There are 57.47 % teachings of Islam only in the subject of Urdu language which is a compulsory subject from grade I-XII .These textbooks have been published by the Punjab Textbook Board Lahore. Ministry of Education, government of Pakistan is playing the role of a cleric as it preaches Islam to all the students whether one is Muslim or not. PMTA declares this education policy ‘Islamic Education Policy’ as chapter four of this policy is on “Islamic Education.” This policy gives priority to Muslim students on minorities’ students.PMTA would like to draw your kind attention on the address of the Quaid-e-Azam and Articles which have been deliberately violated in the approved education policy
VIOLATION OF THE ADDRESS OF THE QUAID-E-AZAM
The Quaid said in his address “You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place or worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the State………Now I think we should keep that in front of us as our ideal and you will find that in course of time Hindus would cease to be Hindus and Muslims would cease to be Muslims, not in the religious sense, because that is the personal faith of each individual, but in the political sense as citizens of the State.
“VIOLATION OF THE CONSTITUTION OF PAKISTAN 1973
Article 20
(a) every citizen shall have the right to profess, practice and propagate his religion;
Article 22
(1) “No person attending any educational institution shall be required to receive religious instruction, or take part in any religious ceremony, or attend religious worship, if such instruction, ceremony or worship relates to a religion other than his own”
(3) Subject of law
(a) no religious community or denomination shall be prevented from providing religious instruction for pupils of that community or denomination in any educational institution maintained wholly by that community or denomination
b) No citizen shall be denied to any educational institution receiving aid from public revenues on the ground only on race. religion ,caste or place of birth.
(4) Nothing in this Article shall prevent any public authority from making provision for the advancement of any socially or educationally backward Class of citizens.
Article 25
(1) All citizens are equal before law and are entitled to equal protection of law.
VIOLATION OF THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
Article 1.All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood
Article 26.(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
(2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
(3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.
VIOLATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS
Article 18
Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right shall include freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice, and freedom, either individually or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching. No one shall be subject to coercion which would impair his freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice. Freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefs may be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary to protect public safety, order, health, or morals or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others. The States Parties to the present Covenant undertake to have respect for the liberty of parents and, when applicable, legal guardians to ensure the religious and moral education of their children in conformity with their own convictions.
Article 26
All persons are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to the equal protection of the law. In this respect, the law shall prohibit any discrimination and guarantee to all persons equal and effective protection against discrimination on any ground such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
Article 27
In those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities exist, persons belonging to such minorities shall not be denied the right, in community with the other members of their group, to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practice their own religion, or to use their own language. VIOLATION OF THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
Article 22.
States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that the child is protected against all forms of discrimination or punishment on the basis of the status, activities, expressed opinions, or beliefs of the child's parents, legal guardians, or family members.
Article 14
States Parties shall respect the right of the child to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. Pakistan Minorities Teachers’ Association has been struggling for a valued based, unbiased and non-discriminatory education policy and curriculum when it started work in 2006.PMTA wrote a letter to Gen. Pervez Mushraff, the then President of Pakistan No. pmta/115/6 on May 02, 2006 on the subject: “Representation of educationists from the religious minorities in the curriculum committee constituted to revise syllabus 2006”, The last letter was mailed to Federal Minister for Education, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad, No.16-pmta/09, dated March 06, 2009 on the subject “Reservations on National Education Policy 2009.”PMTA received twelve letters from different corners of the government of Pakistan. In a letter No.F 3-17/2007-IE on September 19, 2007 informing PMTA that the curriculum for Islmaiyat compulsory (for Muslim students) and Ethics for non-Muslim students have been approved and notified. It further says that there are no biases in future books. How can one justify that this is a national education policy which has violated the address of the Quaid-e-Azam, Constitution of Pakistan, International Conventions and Covenants? This approved NEP will definitely cause serious damages to the national integrity and especially the minorities. Government of Pakistan must learn lesson from the recent tragic incidents of Bahmnywala, Korian ,Gojra and Samberial which took place in the months of June, July , August and September 2009. They have spoilt the image of Pakistan in the comity of nations. This is all due to the biased and discriminatory educational policies against the religious minorities of Pakistan. Minorities’ students have not been spared even in the subject of Ethics where they will be taught Islamic teachings besides other subjects like Urdu, History, Pakistan Studies, English, Civics, Social Studies etc. These textbooks are being written with a biased mindset by the Muslim writers who cannot justify on any cost on the topics on the minorities’ religions and their personalities in the subject of Ethics as Islamic theology is different than that of the minority religions of Pakistan. PMTA flays such an education policy which is biased and discriminatory and gives priority to the teachings of a single majority religion ignoring the minority religions. Best regards.
PROFESSOR ANJUM JAMES PAUL
CHAIRMAN
Copy to
President of Pakistan, President’s House, Islamabad
Federal Minister of Education, Pak Secretariat, Islamabad
Federal Minister for Human Rights, Pak Secretariat, Islamabad
Federal Secretary for Education, Pak Secretariat, Islamabad
