New textbooks include chapters on basic human rights, SHC told

Karachi

The provincial education department was developing textbooks for grade VIII to XII under the new curriculum wherein the Student’s Learning Outcomes (SLOs) focused on forming a child’s basic concepts of fundamental human rights; the Sindh High Court (SHC) was informed on Thursday.

The court was hearing a petition seeking inclusion of human rights education in the educational curriculum.

Petitioner Zubair Ali Khaskheli maintained that it was about time peace and harmony was promoted in our society and in order to achieve that the government needed to make concerted efforts. 

The petitioner cited Nepal’s example where human rights education was a party of school syllabus. He prayed to court to direct federal and provincial governments to include articles from the constitution of Pakistan ensuring protection of human rights in the syllabus.

A compliance report submitted by additional advocate general Barrister Mustafa Mahesar on orders of the SHC maintained that chapters highlighting basic human rights had been incorporated in the new textbooks, for grades I to VII.

The report submitted on behalf of secretary education Fazalullah Pechuho, further stated that concepts supposed to be made clear through the curriculum were decided in a systematic manner with consultation of educationists and child psychologists.

The law officer claimed that the education department would ensure that court orders were complied with while devising future education policies and schemes, whereas human rights conventions such as the Geneva Convention as well as those included in the UN Charter would also be included in the syllabus in accordance with age and grades.

Having informed the court of the changes being inculcated in the curriculum, the law officer prayed to court to dispose the petition.