An Explorative Study

of

Position of Minority groups in Education Policy in

Pakistan

Bhagwani Bai
LEAD 8002
 Rationale for Study
Being a minority women I wanted to get
information of minority position in education
policy
Wanted to apply learnt knowledge of policy
analysis theories
Always seen negative identity description of Hindu
minority in text books so wanted to study how
social construction of population become part of
policy and how it reinforce negative construction
when become part of policy
 Research Questions

How different social identities of different

groups have been constructed and how
Education policies get direction and set
agendas using social constructed images of
groups and create policies that reinforce
negative identities of minority groups?
 Social Construction of Population -
History
Colonial cultural, political, and juridical intervention resulted in
making religion a marker of identities of both Hindu and Muslims
of India
Inception of Pakistans is based on religion A safe country for
Muslims of subcontinent Two Nation Theory TNT that Hindu
and Muslims are two separate nations of India
Ideological articulation and political demands in religious terms
created Hindu as other
After 1947, ideological and political legacy influenced the social
construction of minority groups living in Pakistan
 Constitution and Social Construction of
Population
Conditional citizenship as M. A. Jinahh said
minorities will be treated as equal citizens with
all your rights and obligations as long as you are
loyal to Pakistan
In 1949 objective resolution (embryonic stage of
constitution) was made on Islamic principles
1956 Pakistan was declared as an Islamic
republic in the constitution.
 Constitution and Social Construction of
Population
In 1962 word Islamic was removed from
countrys title
In 1973 constitution again defined Pakistan as
Islamic country with Islam as state religion
In late 1980s radical amendments were made in
constitution such as Blaphemy and Qanoon-i-
shihadah
Education Policies and Social Construction
of Population

Education used as a tool to define national identity

Invisibility of minority in educational policy
narratives and text books National heroes are
only Muslims
Education policies emphasize on producing
patriotic citizens rather democratic where
nationalism and religion are synonymous
Education Policies and Social Construction
of Population

National Education Policy and Implementation

Program 1979
1. Imparted Islamic orientation to the youth
through all text books including science and
mathematics.
2. Islamic Studies, Arabic and Pakistan Studies
were made compulsory in higher education
Education Policies and Social Construction
of Population
Anti-Hindu philosophy was infused through text
books and they are described as backward and
superstitious
After Zia period none of government tried to
bring reforms in Islamized education policies
The current education policy has specific
chapter on Islamic education
 Text Books and Social Construction of
Population
Hindu culture and society are portrayed as unjust and
cruel, in comparison of Islam is portrayed as just and
peaceful
Hindu non-patriotic Pakistani, anti-state, anti-Islam,
non-Muslim, anti-military, and were stigmatized as
cunning, untrustworthy, devious, seductive, sinful, etc.
The population of Pakistan is always quoted as whole
without providing break up of minorities groups.
 Polices reinforce Social Construction of
Population
Theory of homogenization were imparted and cultural,
ethnic, linguistic, religious diversity is subsumed in
national identity which is Muslim nation only
The USCIRF and ICERD & SDPI study in 2011
validate the negative and inaccurate portrayal of
minorities especially about Hindu and Christians in text
books and as a result, unclear citizenship position and
biasness and negative views of minorities were seen at
both students and teachers level.
 Polices reinforce Social Construction of
Population

United State of Peace study 2015 found that

education policies especially biased curriculum
policies and text book along with media
exposure and home environment created hatred
towards minorities groups especially Hindu.
 Polices reinforce Social Construction of
Population
The findings of these reports shows that policy
narratives contributed in the negative portrayal
of minorities in Pakistan. From the analysis of
literature, it became obvious that how education
policies got direction from the social constructed
identities and those identities are incorporated in
policies narrative that reinforce the biasness and
negative construction of minorities in the minds
of people
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