Call to update syllabi to counter extremism

THERE is a dire need to update textbooks because outdated and obsolete syllabus taught to the students could not develop minds.
Pakistan constructed its culture as an artificial nation and whatever was happening now in Pakistan is the result of policies carried out in Zia-ul-Haq era.
These views were expressed by Dr Mehdi Hassan, a famous journalist, educationalist and Dean of School of Media and Communication at Beaconhouse National University (BNU) during the opening session of a two-day conference on Pakistan: Education, Culture and Economy organised by School of Education and Seeta Majeed School of Liberal Arts and Social Science held at BNU Tarogil Campus on Raiwind Road on Friday.
Mrs Nasreen Mahmud Kasuri, Chairman Board of Governors, BNU, ex-foreign minister Mehmood Kasuri, famous British writer, Anatol Lieven, Director British Council Lahore, professors and a large number of students were also present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Mehdi Hassan said that education, culture and economy were deeply inter-related. He said Pakistan was a divided country in every aspect and was a part of big power politics. Describing a brief history, he said that struggle for Pakistan was a political and democratic movement. Later on, the involvement of big powers in Pakistan during cold war and infusion of religion in politics to contain communism distracted Pakistani society from its right track and gradually destroyed its fabric. Democracy became the first victim of this intervention, he maintained.
He said that present chaos the society was suffering from was a result of policies carried out in Zia’s era. Pointing out the names of roads, buildings and other public places on different Islamic personalities as per the policy of Islamisation introduced in Zia’s regime, he said they had developed their culture as an artificial nation. Rather than tracing out their roots to Harrapa, Mohenjo-daro, Indus-valley Civilisation, they were falsely relating themselves to a distant identity and culture.
He said that fundamentalism and extremism - the gravest threat faced by the society at the moment could not be defeated only by military power. There was a need to defeat fundamentalist and extremist mindset too, he added. He said the syllabus taught at schools and colleges was outdated and obsolete. This syllabus could not develop minds of the children, a pre-requisite to counter fundamentalism. He concluded that to improve education system they needed to take two steps; first, update the syllabus, second, upgrade the social status of the teachers.
Anatol Lieven, the author of ‘Pakistan: A Hard Country’ said Pakistan needed to make itself independent economically to free itself from external pressure. He said Pakistan was a far more resilient state. He said Pakistan was not a failed state as protracted by some quarters as world community was asking for its role for stability in different countries, including Middle East. Mrs Nasreen Mahmud Kasuri, Chairperson, Board of Governors, BNU also spoke on the issue and shared her views. She thanked the speakers and audience for participating in the conference. Dr Ishtiaq Ahmad, Dr Tariq Rehman, Dr Mohammad Waseem, Ms Sara Kazmi, Director British Council Lahore, and other speakers also spoke on the occasion. —Muhammad Shahzad