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Finally listened to @MariamChughtai and Pervez Hoodbhoy's debate on thinkfest. Immediate reactions - Dr. Chughtai really held her own with the facts around what a curriculum is and what it isn't. Hoodbhoy seemed to be talking about something else altogether - violence.
To attribute the history of violence (verbal emotional physical and mass terror related) to curricula alone seems to misunderstand the roots of the problem of non state actors who were violent *regardless* of how educated they are/were.
70,000 Pakistanis did not die because of a curriculum. I feel like the history of the 1980s, regardless of how often Hoodbhoy cited Ziast times, history of military control, and the war on terror, was simply lost on Hoodbhoy.
That the ever extending list of topics listed repeatedly by Dr. Chughtai on the SNC were repeatedly dismissed by Hoodbhoy as "meethi meethi" baatein shows how steadfast he was in his views going in
Madrassahs may for the first time ever be required to teach beyond their select topics on religion *and* be teaching a minimum expected standard across the sciences, math, and what not, is *immensely positive if implementable*.
This is where I really felt the moderation of the conversation and time spent in discussion failed. Implementation of this effort is going to be immensely difficult.
Yes the effort to bring in credible and experienced people from every possible corner of Pakistan to contribute, debate, and adapt the curriculum to needs is immense. Aligning 400 people is no small joke. Have you ever succeeded in aligning 4 family members in a heated debate?
I don't think I need to comment much on the behavior of Hoodbhoy in the talk. The continuous interruptions and condescension has been spoken about repeatedly. The moderator could also take note to not refer to a 400 person alignment to 'chund log'.
Overall this is a curriculum from a federal effort. The implementation will be decentralized and seems flexible in nature. The accountability will be on provinces to drive lifelong outcomes for their denizens within and outside of schools, whatever type they may be.
I'm a proud friend of @MariamChughtai and I root for her and the team's success. I applaud the facts, documents history, source upon source, and fierceness in the debate she brought.
And the recognition in closing that the SNC is an experiment ultimately that will have its shortfalls which need tanqeed, but the strengths need recognition too. I also hope a more productive debate, dialectic, and wide discussion is held once the SNC is public.
All in all - Dr. Chughtai seriously chha gayein. Hopeful the meethi meethi cheezein in the SNC bear immense fruit.
As a reference here's some snippets of the SNC from Shafqat Mehmood. https://twitter.com/Shafqat_Mahmood/status/1284744110616858625?s=19
And the full video is here
