ASSIST News Service (ANS)
PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA USA
http://www.assistnews.net
September 14, 2009
By Dan Wooding and Sheraz Khurram Khan
Special to ASSIST News Service
ISLAMABAD,PAKISTAN (ANS)
Pakistan National Education Policy 2009 condemned
PMTA terms Education Policy 2009 as ‘Islamic Education Policy’
Professor Anjum James Paul, the Chairman of Pakistan Minorities Teachers’ Association (PMTA), has termed Pakistan’s National Education Policy 2009 as “Islamic Education Policy.”
“In the presence of chapter four of the Education Policy 2009 on ‘Islamic Education,’ how can one justify that this is not a biased and discriminatory education policy that gives priority to the teachings of a single majority religion while Pakistan is a multi-religious country,” said the professor.
He said that syllabi are not based on democratic values and are discriminatory to non-Muslims.
Responding to a question he said the non-Muslim students have been given an option to study the subject of Ethics from Grade 3 to Grade 12.
Earlier, the subject of Islamiyat (Islamic Studies) was taught in all Pakistani schools. It was compulsory for all children up to grade 8 and from grade 9 Non-Muslim students could opt out by choosing Civics.
Professor Anjum alleged that the text books of Ethics have been written by Muslim authors from an Islamic perspective.
Elaborating on it he said that Ethics text book for class 3 does not name as to who was the eldest son of Abraham. “It merely states the eldest son of Abraham. This will definitely create confusion in the young non-Muslim students because according to Islam it is Ishmael whereas according to Christian teachings it is Isaac,” he stated.
The Ethics text book for Class 5, he said, has a chapter on Semitic Religions including Judaism and Christianity. How could a Muslim writer write on Christianity and Judaism?, he questioned.
Under the heading of “Religious Festivals” in the Ethics text book for Class 6 he said students are supposed to read about Eid-ul-Fitar (Muslim religious festival that follows Muslim holy month of Ramadan).
The professor pointed out that the students of Ethics are also supposed to read about Islam and prominent Muslim personalities like Imam Ghazali.
He alleged that the teachers, most of whom are Muslims, recognize the candidate to be a non-Muslim and hence they mark them down in the Ethics examination.
Anjum alleged that depiction of Christianity at higher-level classes is negative. He said that it was important that teachers and educational materials promote correct attitudes in young minds such as inter-religious harmony, tolerance, sensitivity to others, empathy and avoidance of prejudice and bias.
He went on to say that there are 57.47% teachings of Islam only in the subject of Urdu language which is a compulsory subject from grade I-XII.
Professor Anjum alleged that the 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,’” said Anjum.
This education policy, he alleged, violates article 22 (1) of the Constitution which describes “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.”
He added that the policy is in contravention of article 25 (1) of the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan 1 which describes “All citizens are equal before law and are entitled to equal protection of law.”
The professor further confided to ANS that the policy flouts Article 1 and 26 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 18, 26 and 27 of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 2 and 14 of International Committee of Red Cross and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s recommendations.
Professor Anjum said he also wrote a letter to Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani to apprise him of minorities’ reservation on the Education Policy.
Pakistan should withdraw from these covenants and declarations if it cannot ensure minorities' human rights, he demanded.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Report published in the Asia News on "Minorities and education"
Asia News
http://new.asianews.it
September 14, 2009
Minorities and education: equal rights for all students guaranteed by the constitution
by: Sarah John
A Christian scholar says that it is necessary to develop curricula that promote tolerance and human rights in order to fight violence and extremism. As it stands the current school system favours Muslims, providing them with advantages and privileges. School textbooks nurture a “sense of segregation” among minorities.
Lahore (AsiaNews) – In a long article published in the Pakistan Christian Post Anjum James Paul wrote that real change can come to Pakistan only through education. For the university lecturer and founder of the Pakistan Minorities Teachers’ Association (PMTA), the spiral of terrorism and extremism can be brought to an end by preparing students as early as possible in their life and explaining to them the values of tolerance and respect for human rights. As an expert with a great deal of knowledge of Pakistan’s school system he took a look at the 2009 National Education policy, pointing out its flaws and violations of minority rights.
As a scholar Anjum James Paul believes that a “constructive” attitude is needed, inspired by the “teachings of the Father of the Nation”, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who presented his views to the first Constituent Assembly of Pakistan on 11 August 1947, and for whom freedom of worship was an essential feature of the country, stressing that the “the business of the State” was something distinct from “religion or caste or creed”.
Despite such lofty words minorities have been discriminated by successive governments, Paul said. But his criticism does not spare minority leaders, “who have never raised the issue of discriminatory policies.”
Text books and schools force minority students “to attend classes where one religion in particular, Islam, is promoted”, which tends to nurture a “sense of segregation”.
The role played by minorities “in the birth and building of Pakistan” is not included in any textbooks, and this creates a certain “distance between minority and majority students”. Although books should not cause controversies, it is “sad to see that minorities are not even mentioned.” Yet he is still hopeful that the Education Ministry will do something and adopt “special guidelines in the matter.”
Another case of discrimination between Muslim and non-Muslim students concerns the Qur‘an. Those who learn sections of the Holy Qur‘an by heart can jump to the 8th class examination, bypassing classes 6 and the 7, getting additional marks that are helpful in getting into higher classes. “Minority students are denied such privileges and it is harder for them to get a higher education,” he said.
By recognising that “Islam shall be the State religion of Pakistan” (Art. 2), the constitution strengthens the cooperation among Muslim nations on the basis of Islamic unity and promotes Islamic values, history, and teachings, but it does so to the disadvantage of those who profess a different religious creed.
Finally, some of examples Anjum James Paul cites are in “open violation” of Article 25 of the constitution which says that “All citizens are equal before law and are entitled to equal protection of law.”
http://new.asianews.it
September 14, 2009
Minorities and education: equal rights for all students guaranteed by the constitution
by: Sarah John
A Christian scholar says that it is necessary to develop curricula that promote tolerance and human rights in order to fight violence and extremism. As it stands the current school system favours Muslims, providing them with advantages and privileges. School textbooks nurture a “sense of segregation” among minorities.
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Lahore (AsiaNews) – In a long article published in the Pakistan Christian Post Anjum James Paul wrote that real change can come to Pakistan only through education. For the university lecturer and founder of the Pakistan Minorities Teachers’ Association (PMTA), the spiral of terrorism and extremism can be brought to an end by preparing students as early as possible in their life and explaining to them the values of tolerance and respect for human rights. As an expert with a great deal of knowledge of Pakistan’s school system he took a look at the 2009 National Education policy, pointing out its flaws and violations of minority rights.
As a scholar Anjum James Paul believes that a “constructive” attitude is needed, inspired by the “teachings of the Father of the Nation”, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who presented his views to the first Constituent Assembly of Pakistan on 11 August 1947, and for whom freedom of worship was an essential feature of the country, stressing that the “the business of the State” was something distinct from “religion or caste or creed”.
Despite such lofty words minorities have been discriminated by successive governments, Paul said. But his criticism does not spare minority leaders, “who have never raised the issue of discriminatory policies.”
Text books and schools force minority students “to attend classes where one religion in particular, Islam, is promoted”, which tends to nurture a “sense of segregation”.
The role played by minorities “in the birth and building of Pakistan” is not included in any textbooks, and this creates a certain “distance between minority and majority students”. Although books should not cause controversies, it is “sad to see that minorities are not even mentioned.” Yet he is still hopeful that the Education Ministry will do something and adopt “special guidelines in the matter.”
Another case of discrimination between Muslim and non-Muslim students concerns the Qur‘an. Those who learn sections of the Holy Qur‘an by heart can jump to the 8th class examination, bypassing classes 6 and the 7, getting additional marks that are helpful in getting into higher classes. “Minority students are denied such privileges and it is harder for them to get a higher education,” he said.
By recognising that “Islam shall be the State religion of Pakistan” (Art. 2), the constitution strengthens the cooperation among Muslim nations on the basis of Islamic unity and promotes Islamic values, history, and teachings, but it does so to the disadvantage of those who profess a different religious creed.
Finally, some of examples Anjum James Paul cites are in “open violation” of Article 25 of the constitution which says that “All citizens are equal before law and are entitled to equal protection of law.”
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