The meeting of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Standing Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education chaired by its chairman Arif Ahmadzai on Monday discussed review report on 'Textbooks of Hate or Peace' and its findings on textbooks being taught in KP and FATA during the successive regimes of the Muttahida-e-Majlise Amal (MMA) and ANP, and presently in PTI government.
The chairman assured the stakeholders and Peace Education and Development (PEAD) foundation of looking into their recommendations and findings submitted for the benefits of students. The meeting held at provincial assembly was also attended by members of standing committee including MPA Meraj Humayun, Jamshaid Khan, Uzma Khan, Amina Sardar, Raja Faisal, PEAD team and the PLD members Attaullah, Senior Journalist Safi Ullah Gul and Salis Gill.
On the occasion, MPA Arif Ahmadzai said that the study committee needs some time to go through the review and recommendations and will try to benefit from the positive suggestions and recommendations. Earlier, sharing about the report, PEAD Executive Director Sameena Imtiaz said that the 18th Amendment in the constitution of Pakistan and the devolution of education to the provinces has enabled the provincial governments to chart their own way for educating present and future generations.
Therefore in order to assist, the process of ongoing education sector reforms by the government of KP, the PEAD foundation carried out this study, a study of the changes that were incorporated in the text books (English, Pakistan Studies Islamiyat and Urdu, from grade I-X) being taught in government schools of the province and FATA from 2002-2015.
Based on the study, a comprehensive report titled "Textbooks of Hate or Peace" drafted by the Foundation, which highlighted the areas in the public sector textbooks, where reform is required.
The report will serve as guide /reference for the policymakers, researchers and practitioners in the field of education, particularly in the province, she added. During the meeting some recommendations were also proposed and was demanded that KP Assembly urgently needs to enact the provincial Free and Compulsory Education Act 2015, as it is now the only province without such a law. The textbooks must necessarily be politically non-partisan and non-ideological and to ensure involvement of subject teachers in preparing textbooks. It was recommended that under the new Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Plan of Action (2013-2016), the government to start taking action on the Government's own recommended steps like Law enactment and capacity for implementation of Article 25-A.