Pakistan Province Adds Pashto To Curriculum

[Ghorzang]

The regional government of Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province has formally approved the teaching of the Pashto language as a compulsory subject in schools, RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal reports.

The decision came at a March 21 meeting of the provincial cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Amir Haidar Hoti.

It makes learning Pashto compulsory until the sixth grade.

The cabinet also decided that the study of other languages -- such as Hindko, Seraiki, Kohar, and Kohistani -- will be compulsory in areas where the majority of the local population speaks it as its mother tongue.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain told RFE/RL that the new requirements will be implemented within six months.

"We have made all arrangements for this, and the relevant bill will be submitted to the cabinet," Iftikhar Hussain said. "Wherever those languages are spoken, the basic education will be given in the mother tongue."

The minister said the schedule for implementing the cabinet decision has already been coordinated with the provincial government.

"The curriculum will be prepared. It is ready for Pashto, but it will take some time for the other languages like Hindko, Seriki, Kohistani, Kohar," Iftikhar Hussain said. "We have the complete schedule ready, when and how it will be implemented, gradually, this will be implemented from kindergarten up to secondary level."

Until now, teaching in both state and private schools throughout Pakistan has been in Urdu and English.

http://www.rferl.org/content/pakista...o/2346556.html

[Admin Khan]

I hope this is executed smoothly. What a way to make my night Ghurzanga!

[KingKhan]

This is awesome. Not just that Pashto is finally being taught, but languages like Khowar, and Chitrali are too

[Michin Khel]

I think this is conspiracy of ISI. This step will take care of one of the main complain of pakistani pashtuns and this would create gap between pashtuns in both countries as pakistani pashtuns would become integrated in pakistan. What do you think my afghan brothers?

[Michin Khel]

jokes aside. It is a great step. Khyber pakhtunkhwa has surpassed all other provinces of pakistan. For the first time small local langauges like hinko, kohistani, chitrali are given such importance in pakistan. I had always stressed on the point that no one in pakistani is refraining pashtuns from improving status of pashto, pashtun themselves have to take interest in the matter. we were lazy to not do some thing for pashto, we are blaming others for our deficiencies. Now look what we have achieved.
But these improvements would have drastic impact on hopes of afghanistan in taking back kp.

[Bengal_Tiger]

Well done to the ANP government.

However this move was quite overdue when we consider that Sindhis made Sindhi the official language of Sindh quite a few decades back.

However this is an important step in a Pashtun cultural renaissance which will also include Pashto being used for many different things.

A language is not merely just a group of words with a certain phonology stringed together in the correct grammar, it is also an extension of a certain cultural mentality.

At a dark time for Pashtuns this is indeed a refreshingly good piece of news.

The ANP has to be congratulated for its sensitivity for the rights of other minorities and official provision of education in their languages too. This is the party of Fakhr i Afghan, Bacha Khan, of Wali Khan and many other proud Pashtuns, who earned honour and glory in 1971 with their brave and heroic attempt to promote peace in what was then the largest Muslim nation on earth.

The MQM with their ideology of Hindustani supremacism should emulate the ANP.

[graveyardofempires]

one more step closer to Pukhtunkhwa being part of their fatherland Afghanistan.

[gadoonwal]

Pashtu is already taught at primary level in govt schools in pashtun distt of pakhtunkhwa.
Till the 5th every subject was in pashtu such as mathes,sience etc.
If they make it compulsory subject till the 10th then it is good move .
Many of these leaders do,nt even know whether pashtu was in govt schools before or not.
anything good for pashtu shoud be supported by every pashtun.
It will be good if they make compulsory in pvt schools.

[fzpz]

Why didn't the mohajir-punjabi isi stop this blasphemy? Maybe they're just getting lazy, as in the case of Sindhi being taught to all in Sindh, including the mohajirs.

Seriously though, the pvt schools barely teach urdu, much less chance of any other languages being taught. The politcal elite and their children, regardless of linguistic background, all went to private schools. They all worship english. The problem is that all Paki languages, including urdu, don't have much utility. As long as the new curriculums gear a student towards them being utilized in this world, it's good. If it's for political point-scoring or race chauvenism, it will do more damage than good.

If there is any Paki language i wish to have known, it would be Sindhi. Incredibly sweet.

[Janana]

Alhamdulillah for this great news. I'm especially happy as I have two sister-in-laws under grade 6.

[Michin Khel]

Alhamdulillah for this great news. I'm especially happy as I have two sister-in-laws under grade 6.

what do u mean by grade 6? There is no grade system in pakistan.

[Yousafzai Pakhtun]

Pashtu is already taught at primary level in govt schools in pashtun distt of pakhtunkhwa.
Till the 5th every subject was in pashtu such as mathes,sience etc.
If they make it compulsory subject till the 10th then it is good move .
Many of these leaders do,nt even know whether pashtu was in govt schools before or not.
anything good for pashtu shoud be supported by every pashtun.
It will be good if they make compulsory in pvt schools.

Gadoonwala Wrora! actually pashto was never a compulsory subject in schools......It is the first time that they are going to make it a compulsory subject ...though there pashto medium Textbooks were developed in the Past but mostly Urdu medium books were taught in schools....and those pashto medium books were mostly tought in schools in District Charsadda, Mardan, Swabi and Swat Buner..It depended on the adminstraton of the districts (EDOs etc) and that of schools ...ka' dagha EDO,Principal waghaira ba Pashto lovers woo noo school ke ba da Science/Maths/Social Studies kitaaboona pashto medium waala chaledal au ka' na sok Hindkwan ya baley nazriye wala EDO ya principal ba woo noo bya ba hagha' Urdu medium books khodal.........But Now by making pashto a compulsory subject every one would try hard to learn pashto as one have to appear in the exam at the end of the year......

[khushal]

Its a good start

[gadoonwal]

Gadoonwala Wrora! actually pashto was never a compulsory subject in schools......It is the first time that they are going to make it a compulsory subject ...though there pashto medium Textbooks were developed in the Past but mostly Urdu medium books were taught in schools....and those pashto medium books were mostly tought in schools in District Charsadda, Mardan, Swabi and Swat Buner..It depended on the adminstraton of the districts (EDOs etc) and that of schools ...ka' dagha EDO,Principal waghaira ba Pashto lovers woo noo school ke ba da Science/Maths/Social Studies kitaaboona pashto medium waala chaledal au ka' na sok Hindkwan ya baley nazriye wala EDO ya principal ba woo noo bya ba hagha' Urdu medium books khodal.........But Now by making pashto a compulsory subject every one would try hard to learn pashto as one have to appear in the exam at the end of the year......

wrora manana,i am from swabi and i studied all subjects in pashtu at primary level except urdu and english years ago.

Now is it compulsory subject in all parts of pashtunkhwa or just pashtun distts?
also it is realy important to make it compulsory in pvt schools.
The great bacha khan baba and pashtun hero like khoshal baba and rahman baba also should be included.
We support the govt on this issue and it is great to make it compulsory..

[Michin Khel]

Gadoonwala Wrora! actually pashto was never a compulsory subject in schools......It is the first time that they are going to make it a compulsory subject ...though there pashto medium Textbooks were developed in the Past but mostly Urdu medium books were taught in schools....and those pashto medium books were mostly tought in schools in District Charsadda, Mardan, Swabi and Swat Buner..It depended on the adminstraton of the districts (EDOs etc) and that of schools ...ka' dagha EDO,Principal waghaira ba Pashto lovers woo noo school ke ba da Science/Maths/Social Studies kitaaboona pashto medium waala chaledal au ka' na sok Hindkwan ya baley nazriye wala EDO ya principal ba woo noo bya ba hagha' Urdu medium books khodal.........But Now by making pashto a compulsory subject every one would try hard to learn pashto as one have to appear in the exam at the end of the year......

you are a one great liar. Pashto was compulsory upto primary level in governament schools. I have myself studied pashto upto 5th class.