In a society, education system is responsive to its diverse needs ranging from national prosperity, managerial efficiency and individual happiness to responsible citizenry; the list is not fully exhaustive. The purposes of education are never static. They change with ever changing world around us.

Since 1947, one of the purposes of public education system in Pakistan was to inculcate Pakistani nationalism. In November 1947, Pakistan Educational Conference recommended Islamic ideology as the bedrock of education. Like any other state, Pakistan was a territorial entity. Uniquely, religion has been tried to unify the otherwise diverse ethnic groups.

In fact, the distortion of history began in the aftermath of the breakaway of Eastern Pakistan into Bangladesh back in 1971. Starting under Bhutto, the mutilation of historical facts reached perfection under Gen Ziaul Haq. The All India Muslim League’s espoused Two Nation theory came to limelight. Religion had informed the communal politics of the party in pre partition era. Having a look at textbooks of history Pakistan Studies and Social Studies, a reader finds as how Pakistan was the culmination of a long struggle since the arrival of Muhammad Bin Qasim to Sindh in 712.

Ethno nationalism did not fit in with Pakistani nationhood. It was presented as a conspiracy hatched by Pakistan’s enemies. Indian centrism weighed in heavily with textbook contents. Carved out of the collapse of British colonial edifice in India, Pakistan had to face the initial aggressive response from certain politicians of All India National Congress.

Real or imagined, India was depicted as a mortal threat to the integrity of the country. Religion became the overriding integrating force. Unfortunately, we ended up with inventing histories other than discovering one. How do we stand at a different juncture of history currently?

The ground realities are different than they were nearly six decades ago. Over emphasis and politicisation of religion has given way to religiosity. For a decade now religious extremism has remained the real danger to the country. It is the internal threat and not India that is tearing the country apart. Ethno nationalism is not a serious force to reckon with except the Baloch separatist movement. It is these realities that should be taken into account to design a new curriculum for subjects especially such as Pakistan Studies, Social Studies and Indo Pakistan history.

What to include in curriculum(s)?

To tackle religious extremism, it is imperative to include certain values to both our public and private education systems. First, we must design a curriculum which teaches history the way it happened. Syllabi should infuse the common values of various religions.

All religions are on the same page on the notions of love for humanity, tolerance and sympathy and helping the needy -- to quote just a few examples. There is no need of incorporating sectarian materials into curriculum. It is appropriate if students learn their religion and sect in their private capacities. The government’s religious-cum-sectarian role has only called for disaster. Student should be taught that they are equal citizens of Pakistan irrespective of everything else. Catering to public utility, the more professional this exercise is, the better it is.

Our education system should nurture creativity, which Ken Robinson defines as "the process of having original ideas that have value." Creativity comes through critical thinking. While considering a variety of perspectives and relying on reason rather than emotion, critical thinking is skeptical and takes nothing for granted.

Reality is multifaceted. Diversity not uniformity should guide our syllabi. Students should be instructed that there are various ways to approach a problem. A single question may have a hundred answers all of them right at the same time. Thus, there is no single right answer to a question. We should put high premium on teaching students to recognize and respect human cognitive diversity. The education system should guide that people are better off with what they are though we may not approve it. This is the essence of toleration. Moreover, empathy and compassion should inform our education system.

Students should be immersed in learning to solve problems in nonviolent ways. They should be educated that best means to convince someone are persuasion and argument rather than intimidation. The lifelong peaceful struggles of legendary Mahatma Gandhi and iconic Bacha Khan should be taught to students. Our curriculum should comprise contents from European history. It will help students to compare and contrast their march towards modernity with that of the west.

 How does an education system affect students?

Learning through formal education is one of the sources of acquiring knowledge. Knowledge influences human attitude and behaviour. William James, an imminent figure in modern psychology says, "If you change your mind you can change your life".

In Pakistani context, indoctrination has stifled creativity. The legacy of not listening to other views is fully reflected in our national psyche. The religious seminaries have brought indoctrination to new heights. The maelstrom that engulfs Pakistan owes much to the kind of indoctrination that militants undertake.

According to Nelson Mandela, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." To bring about a useful change in the outlook of society, we need a model anchored in enlightenment. In this model, as to quote Noam Chomsky "education is really aimed at helping students get to the point where they can learn on their own because that is what you are going to do during your life, not just absorb materials given to you by the outside, and repeat it."

Until we either overhaul or reform our education systems of both secular and religious learning institutes, conservatism and religious extremism will haunt us. We inevitably need an education system that shuns indoctrination as enshrined by our current education systems in favour of critical thinking and creativity. Given the fact that we all have been endowed with enormous individual capabilities, the gold standard of good education system is the one that unlocks not prevent the untapped potential of learners.