Written submission to the 62nd session of the UN Human Rights Council

Discrimination in educational settings in Pakistan: a focus on pedagogy and curriculums.

Introduction

1.CSW (Christian Solidarity Worldwide) is a human rights organisation specialising in the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB). This submission seeks to bring the United Nations Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC’s) attention to the situation of discrimination on the basis of religion or belief in Pakistan’s education system, with particular attention given to the National Curriculum of Pakistan (NCP) and pedagogy.

Legal framework and the National Curriculum of Pakistan

2.Pakistan has ratified key international laws which guarantee the right to both FoRB and education, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC, or CRC) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).

3.The right to education is protected in Pakistan’s 1973 constitution. Article 22(1) states that, ‘No person attending any educational institution shall be required to receive religious instruction, or take part in any religious ceremony, or attend religious worship, if such instruction, ceremony or worship relates to a religion other than his own.’ Article 22(3)(a) guarantees the rights of religious communities to provide religious education for pupils of that community or denomination in any educational institution maintained wholly by that community or denomination and Article 22(3) (b) states that individuals should not be denied admission to education institution on the basis of their race, religion, caste or place of birth.

4.In 2010 the 18th Amendment to the Constitution had a huge impact on the roles of the provincial and federal governments in the education sector. Education planning, policy and curriculum became the responsibility of the provinces. Due to limited capacity and resources, developing the necessary laws and mechanisms to enforce the right to education has been slow. While new curriculum authorities were formed which could write their own curricula, in practice the provinces largely follow federal curriculum guidelines and have yet to write their own comprehensive curriculum documents; textbook material remains largely dictated by the federal government.[1]

5.In July 2022, in the most recent set of reforms, Pakistan’s Single National Curriculum (SNC) was officially renamed the National Curriculum of Pakistan (NCP) by the Federal Education Minister to signify ongoing curriculum reforms aimed at standardisation across public, private and religious schools, and to replace the 2006 curriculum.[2] It was implemented in three phases, by grade, with grades 1-5 being overhauled in 2021-22, Grades 6-8 in 2022-23, and Grades 9-12 in 2023-24.[3]

6.The National Curriculum Council (NCC) prioritised religious studies while the removal of religious content from non-religious subjects has not been implemented, despite orders from the Supreme Court’s One-Man Commission on Minority Rights.[4] The One-Man Commission recommendation was made because the adding of Islamic content to non-religious subjects violates the rights of non-Muslims who are also required to study non-religious subjects, violating their rights as enshrined in Article 22 (1) of the Constitution.

7.In reality, analysis of school textbooks reveal an increase in religious content in non-religious subjects rather than a reduction.[5]

Bias Textbooks

8.In 2025, the Cecil and Iris Chaudhry Foundation (CICF) together with teachers, academic experts and human rights activists carried out extensive quantitative and qualitative analysis of approximately 150 textbooks used in Pakistan’s education system across grades 1-10 in the subjects of Urdu, English, Pakistan Studies, History, Social Sciences, Geography and General knowledge, as these are the primary subjects where ideological Islamic content is found.[6] Science and Mathematics textbooks were only included where non-academic ideological content was included.[7] Researchers also measured findings against the NCP to assess whether the content of textbooks contradict educational policy objectives.

9.They found that Urdu, English, Pakistan Studies, History, Social Sciences and General Knowledge subjects all contain Islamic teachings, prayers, Quranic verses and moral lessons rooted in Islamic scriptures which are contextually irrelevant to the academic subject matter. In Pakistan Studies and History Christians, Hindus, and other religious minorities are depicted as enemies of Muslims and Islam, inciting religious hate and discrimination. The contribution of religious minorities to the development of Pakistan is conspicuous by its absence and factual inaccuracies. This exclusivist approach has reinforced Pakistani nationalism and prevents non-Muslims from being considered as Pakistani nationals and good citizens.

10.In addition, gender bias in textbooks violates Articles 20 and 25 of the Constitution, as well as contravening Pakistan’s commitments under international law. In addition to a marked absence of notable Pakistani women across science, politics and literature, narratives reinforce traditional gender roles with men depicted as breadwinners and decision makers, and women engaged in domestic tasks.[8]

11.While bias is nationwide, variations in both ‘intensity and nature of ideological content varies by region:[9] ‘some provincial textbook boards emphasise Islamic nationalism more than others, with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPTB) having the most explicitly religious content in subjects like Pakistan studies and history, whereas the Sindh Textbook Board showed relatively more diversity in cultural and historical representations, though religious bias still exists.’[10] Baluchistan textbooks had a stronger tribal emphasis, alongside religious nationalism. This disparity in content shows a lack of consultative and preparatory process in formulating the curriculum.

12.A significant percentage of the books offer no alternatives or exclusions to non-Muslim students in violation of religious minority students’ constitutional rights under Article 22 (1) which guarantees that no student shall be forced to receive religious instruction in a faith other than their own.[11] In fact, the new curriculum requires students to undergo even more Islamic religious teaching in compulsory subjects.[12]

13.The NCC has allowed the publication of religious textbooks for students of seven minority religious groups (Bahaism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Kalasha, Sikhism and Zoroastrianism) enrolled in educational institutions supervised by the federal government. However, these books, which were expected to be introduced into schools in the educational year 2025, have not yet been prepared or produced.[13] Due to lack of resources, there are concerns on how provisions will be made for teachers to teach one or a few students from the religious minority communities. In addition, non-Muslims are often reluctant to opt to study an alternative ethics class because this identifies them as a religious minority and increases discrimination.

Pedagogy:

14.There is a pressing need to address issues relating to pedagogy, teachers’ skills and competencies. Instructors often lack the teaching and scholastic tactics necessary to engage with students and encourage harmony and human rights is not covered in teacher training manuals.[14]

15.Some schoolteachers have an extremist mindset and directly or indirectly try to influence non-Muslim children. In interviews with CSW, some students from religious minorities reported receiving lower marks than classmates; others were told if they converted to Islam they would get better grades and more support from teachers; still others were refused scholarships or entry onto higher courses.

16.Ahmadi, Hindu, Sikh and Christian children gave accounts of being mocked, beaten and ‘mentally tortured’ by teachers and classmates because of their religious beliefs. CSW interviews revealed that the children of religious minorities were repeatedly urged to convert to Islam by their classmates and teachers; in some cases, when they refused, they were beaten.

17.Student interviews indicate that teachers often instructed non-Muslims and especially Ahmadi, Hindu and Christian students to eat, sit, and play separately from other students.

Recommendations to the Human Rights Council:

18.Urge Pakistan to guarantee the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) in its fullness for all religious minorities, and uphold constitutional provisions with particular reference to educational institutions in respect of religion as detailed in Article 22.

19.Urge Pakistan to improve and rewrite the curricula and textbooks to remove discriminatory language and religious and historic inaccuracies and omissions. New curricula and textbooks should be based on scientific and empirical principles of thought and inquiry, and incorporate lessons on peace, tolerance, diversity and respect for human rights.

20.Urge Pakistan to include in the curriculum the contributions of religious minorities to the founding and development of Pakistan. Offer provisions to religious minority students from Ahmadi, Hindu, Christian, Sikh and other religious groups for the study of their own religions.

21.Call on Pakistan to develop teacher training programmes which demonstrate respect for all religious traditions and values.

22.Urge Pakistan to introduce interfaith activities in schools to encourage understanding and dialogue between students from different religious backgrounds.

23.Closely monitor the disbursement of funds to ensure they are not supporting the production of curricula and textbooks with biased content.

24.Urge Member States to ensure FoRB and the right to education are consistently raised every opportunity, including at multilateral fora such as the UN General Assembly, UN HRC sessions and during the UPR process.

[1] CSW, General Briefing: Pakistan, 2025, https://www.csw.org.uk/2025/05/29/report/6514/article.htm

[2] Cecil and Iris Chaudhry Foundation, ‘A Dive into the Education Landscape of Pakistan: Trends, Challenges and Solutions’, 2025

[3] Ibid.

[4] CSW, General Briefing: Pakistan 2025, https://www.csw.org.uk/2025/05/29/report/6514/article.htm

[5] Cecil and Iris Chaudhry Foundation, ‘A Dive into the Education Landscape of Pakistan: Trends, Challenges and Solutions’, 2025.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Ibid.

[10] Ibid.

[11] Ibid.

[12] Ibid.