The Senate Education Committee on Tuesday expressed concern over the negative language about Pakhtuns in the O-Level Urdu textbook and objected to the content.
A committee headed by Senator Bushra Anjum Butt looked into the matter in detail and reported that the book was banned and the author had sent an apology letter.
Despite these measures, Senator Bilal Ahmed Khan expressed disappointment over the continuation of the book. The committee is discussing the government’s role in curriculum management.
Governor Senator Bushila called on authors and publishers to attend the next meeting to condemn what he said was hate speech that harmed children.
It was suggested that the Ministry of Education should issue instructions to all states to withdraw the book immediately, stating that this action sets a precedent for accountability in educational publishing.
The Committee addressed the funding issues for the International Research Support Programme of the Higher Education Institution (IRSIP) and the final funding decision is expected in December.
The hunger strike by the academic staff of Balochistan University due to unpaid wages was also discussed in the meeting. Senator Hidayatullah particularly stressed the importance of spending 4 percent of the GDP on education in Balochistan.
The party also suggested that the constitution be amended to distinguish between the presidency chairmen and the permanent chairmen, insisting on appointments to ensure that the leadership of the school is maintained.
Senator Bushila stressed the importance of the involvement of the Ministry of Planning and Finance in the matter and urged the Committee to be strong.
The Minister of Education discussed the auditing of the role of those responsible, including the Director of the Federal Department of Education (FDE) and the Director of Government Secondary and Intermediate Education (FBISE). He added that the FDE had previously recruited staff in a delayed manner and not immediately, but appointments were to be completed within two weeks as per the procedural law.
The Committee was briefed on the recent recruitment process for teaching and non-teaching positions. The Secretary said that no non-teaching staff had been appointed and no complaints had been lodged with the Director.
He said the recruitment process involves an examination conducted as per the criteria set by the ministry and completed according to the qualifications, which is a first in Pakistan.
