Thread by @umaraqti

🧵 on books following SNC guidelines approved by Punjab Curriculum and Textbook board:

I bought these books of Grade 1-5 to ascertain if the Punjab Govt approved textbooks are regressive and will they be detrimental to kids education?

(These 10 books cost me ~ 900 Rps)

In these textbooks, boys and girls are taught not to accept any gifts from strangers and never befriend them.

Hopefully, these lessons will help reduce crimes against children esp sexual crimes as predators entice kids for their criminal activities.

Lessons are added so kids can learn and respect the religious festivals of minorities in Pakistan.

Against prevalent propaganda about girls are ONLY shown as doing house chores or as mothers or housewives, women in these books are also shown as:

Pilots
Lawyers
Businesswomen
Nurse
Doctor
Sportswomen

Also, girls are shown:

•Playing football
•Competing with boys in sporting activities
•Helping their male family members in laborious works as women do in rural areas
•Enjoying rain

Like a normal person etc etc

In the social studies book of grade 4, kids will be taught about:

• Human Rights
• Diversity and Tolerance
•Different Cultures (Punjab books are teaching cultures of other provinces as well)
•Role of Minorities in the creation of Pakistan

My best part is in the Grade 3 book of -- Waakfiyat-e-Aama (General Knowledge) is how to resolve common disagreements, causes of disagreements, and resolving conflicts through discussion, dialogue, and problem-solving methods.

Regarding "all or majority" minor girls shown wearing a scarf/dupatta in textbooks.

Here are pictures from books where some are wearing scarves and some are not.

Yes minors don’t need to wear a hijab but there are those kids in our country too. Girls in rural areas wear scarf or dupattas due to cultural/religious norms.
I am from a village where minor girls wear dupattas or scarves as a cultural norm.

Refer to these pictures.

On religious content in English and Urdu books. Yes, the Punjab textbook board did add it but in my view it's neither controversial nor sectarian.

Check the first picture and read learning outcomes, they are not focusing on religious themes. This is from an English book.

In the General Knowledge book, the awareness lessons are need of the hour & related to current social and climate issues. I.e Water scarcity & deforestation issues.

This is from Grade-2 Book.

It's not that SNC is perfect, there are some flaws too but SNC is a good attempt and much-awaited and delayed start in the nation building.

Unfortunately, Govt, Federal Education Minister & highly qualified SNC director - Dr. Mariam Chughtai are targets of hate and propaganda despite they asked publicly for feedback and are committed to revising. And they never called it an experiment.

Feedback about SNC from someone who is running his own publication house, he listed challenges and issues in SNC. Also, he shared the context and why SNC is needed.

https://twitter.com/umaraqti/status/1422265373911552002?s=19