By IANS,
Islamabad : A Pakistani daily wants hate-filled school textbooks purged after an official panel said they entrenched prejudices against minorities and distorted history.
An editorial in the News International Tuesday said the government was doing little “to stem the black tide threatening to engulf the country” at a time when Pakistan was plagued by extremism and tensions.
The National Commission for Justice and Peace, which undertook a content analysis of books in primary and secondary schools published by the Punjab and Sindh boards, has found the curricula to be hate-filled.
The report finds that some books had material that would create in students’ minds bias against religious minorities, both within Pakistan’s borders and elsewhere.
They also distorted history and foment the conspiratorial mindset that was widely prevalent in Pakistan, it said.
“What’s worse, while textbooks have been revised over three decades, it seems that hate content has increased manifold over time,” said the daily.
“…whatever efforts Pakistan may make to curb extremism in society, they are destined to be eroded by school curricula that send poisoned minds out into the world,” it added.
“Purging school curricula of hate material would not be a politically divisive matter.
“All that is required is a state with the will to do what needs to be done,” it said.
“And yet, such a place is Pakistan that it remains a moot point whether that will can ever be mustered up.”