Fact-check: Human diagrams won’t be covered in Pakistani biology textbooks
Education ministry debunked rumours surrounding Single National Curriculum
Photo: File
No, Pakistan will not be covering human diagrams in biology textbooks of the Single National Curriculum with “appropriate” clothes to “protect their modesty”.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Federal Education tweeted that a concerted campaign has been started by “vested interests” to discredit efforts made by the government to devise a single national curriculum for all schools in Pakistan.
Some of the falsehoods being spread are that:
— Ministry of Federal Education/ProfessionalTraining (@EduMinistryPK) June 22, 2021
1-An Ulema Board has decreed that all human figures in Biology text books of the SNC be covered with appropriate clothes to protect their modesty
2-Qaris from madrassahs would be appointed in all schools to teach holy Quran 2/14
It debunked the rumours of the Muttahida Ulema Board approving science textbooks. “The Single National Curriculum has so far only been approved till grade five. Biology is a subject that is taught beginning from Grade IX and no textbooks for Biology have so far been finalised.”
According to the ministry, science textbooks are being developed in consultation with local and international experts and will not be approved for publishing until they meet the required global benchmarks.
“It is, however, true that Punjab Assembly has approved a law whereby an Ulema Board approves all Islamic content in the curriculum but no changes have been made in the textbooks so far.”
Qaris teaching at schools
Another rumour regarding seminary teachers teaching Islamiat in schools has been declared false.
“The teaching of Qirat to Muslim students is a part of the Islamiyat curriculum and is mandatory to foster their religious learning.”
But this instruction can be provided by the existing Islamiat or Religious Studies teachers and the school can appoint any person they find fit for the subject, the ministry clarified.
Discrimination with minorities
“The Single National Curriculum is a historic initiative introduced to eliminate Pakistan’s long-standing class-based education system and create equal educational standards for all the students of Pakistan, regardless of race, class, gender, and any other arbitrary marker,” the ministry tweeted.
The Islamic content in the curriculum is restricted to the Compulsory Teaching of Holy Quran Act, 2017.
For the first time a separate special curriculum has been prepared for Hindus, Christians, Bahais, Sikhs and Kalaash to ensure that the curriculum is not only reflective of all Pakistanis but promotes tolerance, peace and brotherhood among all communities in the country, it added.
Single National Curriculum
On June 25 last year, Prime Minister Imran Khan said that his government is going to implement a uniform education system from March 2021. While speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, he said the 2.5 million students at religious seminaries would be brought into the mainstream.
The government decided to execute the plan in phases. The first step is to introduce the new syllabus on the primary level (nursery to grade five) in the 2021 session. The new course will then be taught on secondary levels and above in 2022.
In December 2020, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar said the new curriculum will be taught to students across the province in the 2021-2022 session.
