PESHAWAR – The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has taken notice of thealleged anti-Pakistan curriculum being taught under a UNHCR-run project inschools for children of Afghan refugees across the province.
The Community Oriented Primary Education project is being run by the UNHCRto provide free education to children of Afghan refugees in the country.
Through a letter to Commissionerate Afghan Refugees (CAR), a copy of whichis available with DawnNews, the home and tribal affairs department of KPgovernment directed the commissioner to take necessary action in thisregard and submit a detailed report.
According to the letter, the UNHCR has recently changed the syllabus beingtaught in 101 schools for Afghan children in refugee camps. The syllabuswas changed without seeking any approval from any federal or provincialdepartment, the letter read.
The controversial syllabus is being taught to Afghan refugee children ingrades 1-6. The KP government’s letter highlighted the following elementsin the curriculum that it viewed with “great concern”.
– Flag of Afghanistan is visible at every page of English books – India has been projected as a friendly country of Afghanistan – Gilgit-Baltistan and disputed Kashmir has been shown as part of India in social studies book of grade 6 – The border between Afghanistan and Pakistan has been referred to as ‘Durand Line’ in the books
UNHCR denies allegations
Later in the day, the UNHCR issued a clarification, saying that there havebeen no changes in the textbooks currently used in refugee schools inPakistan.
The UNHCR made it clear that the curriculum taught in Afghanistan was alsobeing taught in the Afghan refugee schools in Pakistan.
“The curriculum of Afghanistan is used in refugee schools in Pakistan. Thishelps prepare pupils for their integration into the schooling system inAfghanistan should they decide to return,” the statement read.