Pakistan’s School Curriculum Reinforces Ideological Bias
Pakistan’s public education system is intended to serve as a foundation for learning, social development, and national cohesion. However, a growing body of independent research and curriculum reviews suggests that elements of the country’s state-sanctioned school curricula embed a narrow ideological framework that risks reinforcing exclusionary narratives rather than fostering pluralism and critical inquiry. These concerns have implications not only for religious and ethnic minorities within Pakistan, but also for broader social cohesion and regional stability.
At the policy level, Pakistan’s National Curriculum Framework—the guiding document for textbook development nationwide—emphasizes national unity and pride in state institutions. In practice, critics argue that these goals are often pursued through a singular conception of national identity, closely tied to ideological interpretations that leave limited space for the country’s ethnic, cultural, and religious diversity. Across subjects such as history, social studies, and language, textbooks frequently prioritize the concept commonly referred to as the “Ideology of Pakistan,” particularly as it evolved in the post-1970s period, over more nuanced accounts of historical complexity and social plurality.
Multiple academic and civil society studies have documented patterns within government-approved textbooks that have raised concern among educators and human rights advocates. A content analysis of 86 textbooks used in Punjab, Sindh, and Federal Directorate regions found that Pakistan is predominantly portrayed through a religious-national lens, while neighboring India is often framed in consistently adversarial terms. Non-Muslim minorities receive limited attention and, when referenced, are frequently depicted as marginal rather than as integral contributors to the country’s historical and social development.
These findings align with earlier assessments by the Center for Social Justice in Lahore, which reviewed 145 textbooks used from Grades 1 through 10. The organization reported that compulsory subjects—including Urdu and general knowledge—contain extensive religious material, effectively requiring students of all faiths to engage with content that may not reflect their beliefs or identities. According to the report, this approach risks marginalizing minority students and reinforcing exclusion within the education system itself.
Concerns about historical representation further compound these issues. Scholarly works, including The Murder of History by Khursheed Kamal Aziz, have documented longstanding inaccuracies, omissions, and selective interpretations in Pakistani history textbooks. Events ranging from the 1857 uprising to the creation of Pakistan are often presented through simplified narratives that emphasize ideological struggle while minimizing internal debates and overlooking the roles played by minorities and dissenting voices.
Academic research has also examined the long-term social effects of such curricular choices. Studies by scholars such as Rubina Saigol highlight how language that glorifies conflict and portrays “the other” in consistently negative terms has been embedded in educational materials for decades. Rather than encouraging analytical thinking and open inquiry, these narratives may contribute to the formation of rigid worldviews and social prejudices among students.
For many Pakistani students, school textbooks represent their first sustained exposure to state-endorsed historical and social narratives. Critics argue that these materials often present contested historical claims as settled facts, with limited context or encouragement for critical examination. Classroom assessments may reward ideological conformity over debate, questioning, or independent reasoning.
The societal implications of such an approach extend beyond the classroom. Education systems play a central role in shaping social attitudes, and when curricula consistently frame minorities as peripheral and neighboring states as perpetual adversaries, intolerance and polarization risk becoming normalized. Observers note that these outcomes are not incidental but rather predictable consequences of prolonged curricular emphasis on singular identity narratives.
Despite repeated calls for reform, progress has been uneven. Civil society organizations, education specialists, and international observers have urged Pakistan to align its curricula more closely with global standards emphasizing inclusivity, human rights, and peace education. Some reform initiatives—such as efforts in Sindh to introduce human rights content into social science textbooks—have encountered bureaucratic resistance and political opposition, underscoring the depth of institutional challenges involved.
International education frameworks, including those promoted by UNESCO, stress the importance of pluralism, historical accuracy, and critical thinking as foundations for peaceful and resilient societies. Aligning Pakistan’s education system with these principles would likely require more than incremental textbook revisions; it would necessitate a broader shift from ideological instruction toward inquiry-based education.
The narratives taught in classrooms today will shape Pakistan’s social and political landscape in the decades to come. An education system that acknowledges diversity, embraces historical complexity, and encourages critical engagement has the potential to strengthen social cohesion and regional understanding. Conversely, the continued reliance on exclusionary narratives risks perpetuating divisions whose costs extend far beyond the education sector.
The author, Dr. Shujaat Ali Quadri, is the National Chairman of the Muslim Students Organisation of India (MSO) and writes on issues including Sufism, public policy, geopolitics, and information warfare.
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