In the last week 14 parents have led a protest against the CEO of Dawood public school asking for her resignation. They demand that she step down because she introduced into the curriculum a grade 7 biology book which has a few pages on human reproduction.
I have not had the chance to view this book but according to my sources it outlines the basic organs as well as stresses on contraception and the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases. These parents are also upset because Ms Sabrina Dawood the schools foreign educated CEO has also introduced pant/shirt and skirt for girls in the school unform instead of the traditional shalwar kamiz.
Private Institutions Director Mansoob Hussein Siddique has informed some news sources that upon checking of the schools syllabus nothing controversial was found and thus its license is not canceled.
To me this out roar just points out the building tension between two segments of our society. Although it would be wrong to blame and brand the parents or the schools administration with labels, the fact that this is being made out to be about religion speaks of people unwilling to accept change. I for one do not think there is anything wrong with teaching our children about sex or reproduction or warning them of the dangers of unprotected sex. If the Quran our holy book can speak of it and against pre marital sex in open terms what are we shirking back from? Each child reads and completes the Quran before they even reach grade 5 do they not?
Why do we want our children to be so uninformed? Or do we think that reading about it in a biology book is worse than watching it performed live on tv? Because I can bet most of the parents protesting have cable in their homes and what children catch as input while flicking from one cartoon channel to another is known to us all. So why create a ruckus over educational distribution of information which is to safeguard the kids rather than encourage them towards promiscuity.
In any case I think parents who have reservations should definately now check the schools syllabus before entering their kids in the program. This school is using books imported from Singapore and thus the cultural values will be of the culture where they are printed.
Our schools should also learn to take parents on board in key changes to syllabus/curriculum as they are directly concerned and should be part of the decision process. If this was observed, then the whole brouhaha would not have taken place.
Very true! Parents should check school’s curriculum before getting their child admitted. I being a teacher in a British curriculum school, found some pictures of Holly ProphetMuhammd (SAWS), and as soon as it was pointed out, they were removed from the syllabus. In the UAE, copy of each prescribed book is sent to the Ministry of education for its approval; Last year a few books were banned due to some objectionable topics from the syllabus of an Indian school. We also shd have such a board/ authority to check the content of school books whether it is in accordance with the norms of our society.
I can’t possibly conceive whats wrong with educating children – especially since the times have become more and more modern and children are in relationships as early as the age of 12!
There is more and more news of teenage sex, leave alone pre-marital – Pre-marital sex hardly seems of consequence to society any more!
Najam Shiraz’s video also talks of the same issues – its the lack of education and lack of parental supervision that leads to children going this way.
If sex education is being given, this material needs to monitored by parents to channel it in the right direction – why must children rely on their friends or the internet – why not in school.
If the times have changed, education needs to change to keep up with it.
@batty, any new subject, if introduced, needs a lot of research as to how the lessons will be delivered and teacher training. Moreover, this topic is a taboo in our society. So its not possible just by saying that times are changing, so we shd start sex education on any western model. We have to conduct extensive research on the topics, whether they are relevant and are in accordance with the norms in the society.
First of all – nice article Faisal. I want to point out something here, you said “If the Quran our holy book can speak of it and against pre marital sex in open terms what are we shirking back from? Each child reads and completes the Quran before they even reach grade 5 do they not?”
i agree children do complete it before 5th grade, but 99.99% in Pakistan dont even know what they have read or memorized. they dont even have a clue about it. beside Quran have words to explain it in simple yet elegant manner – Quran does not have photos, slide shows, experiments (to do) or exercise to understand what needed to be done related to sex ed.
i do agree – our children should be educated in this matter also along with other subjects but i think its not appropriate to teach them in such a tender age. along with this sort of education, they should also be told pros and cons of it and what Allaah (Quran) has to say about it. and parents should get involve in it, well i would say “parents should be FORCE to get involve in it”. and if school has to give such a education then this subject SHOULD be optional to select, should not be part of graduation. and get parents authorization before enrolling kids for this syllabus/curriculum.
The topic of sex education at school is only labeled as taboo because there is always a resistance to change. Teen pregnancy cases are more common now than before and it is the same in any given society. It is about time that we accept that resisting a change, that has already arrived at our doorsteps is not going to do us any good. With so much information that these young people are exposed to today it was a very wise decision of the some schools to introduce it to children at school so they are well-informed.
well…how cam human reproduction is included in 7th class syllabus!!
are the teachers insane???
there should be proper check and balance and ovcource with the principal the education minister should also be held responsible for that too!!
Small doubt Faisal,
Isn’t the syllabus set by a centralised body in Pakistan?
Is teaching about human reproduction not in the official government syllabi?
I always assumed it was, and am amused if it isn’t.
If I was in 7th grade and if I didn’t know the reason for the rigamortis in my green school pants id be worried.
But we weren’t and hence why all the kids I knew were gay and stimulating each other.
http://Www.iwwwrite.blogspot.com
guyzz im just fed up of telling it on each and every website that these chap were not being taught !! infact the pages were torn or glued!!and although there was no mistake of the skool the schol has taken back both isl & sci books!! now what more can they do !! these merchants are the one to insult us !! im a dawoodian and i know exactly whats happening in my school !! the blames are pointless!!these parents are also objecting on the uniform!! i wear it every morning!! it has straight pants or trousers with longshirts (till the knee)and the dupattas are allowed from 6 class onwards bc 5 class students are very young!!and the skirts are for only pre primary students!!!and what happen to the parents when their daughters were pant shirts or frock!! where r the dupattas then!!jeeyay jeeyay DPS !! jeeyay jeeyay SABRINA DAWOOD!!down down merchants
Ironically the verses of “Jihad” could be edited out by saying that they pollute young minds since religion should not be taught to young minds as it could pollute their minds while on other hands “intellectuals” are saying that its OK to give sex education at age of 9 and 10. Irony Irony and sirf Irony.
girls that age get married in Pakistan so theyre forced into the real thng..mite as well get educated abt it.
Faisal thats a very interesting topic that you have brought to our attention. I agree with you whole heartedly and you know my friend, if our children were reading the Holy Quran in urdu, the parents would have reacted in a different way! If we focus on the understanding of what we want our children to ‘learn’, then its a different ball game altogether. Food for thought….
And yes, your post also highlights the very important parent-teacher associations which should be actively monitoring and participating in the grooming of our children in which we are all key stakeholders.
Well done, as always 🙂
Well, people ‘ve different beliefs and different classes and different level of understandings. I’m a Paki Muslim and I’d want my children to learn everything possible in the range of knowledge and I’d disscuss things with them.
As Salam o Alaikum.
@ Rm and Batty I think you are both right but are providing different ways of going about it.
@ Faisal alim Thanks and you are right about we being ignorant of the meaning of our holy book but teaching it by rote method is what has brought us to this disaster in the first place.
@ Balu it is not centralized in the case of priv schools, in any case as i pointed out the administrators from govt side cheked syllabus and found nothing inappropriate
@ shaista and khurram and above all jaweria an actual student of DPs
Thank u for your contributions and thanks jaweria for clearing up so many misconceptions being formed about this school.
@ adnan siddiqui
The verses of jehad are not to be taken literally but read in context with the verses ahead and after them. Yet again i fail to understand your point of view. What would you mean by liberal? I would rather my daughter is taught about sex from a responsible source then to accidentally venture across it on the internet or tv. Its just responsible parenting.
@ rana you have hit the nail on the head my friend, these ppl will marry of kids but wont allow them to discuss sex..
@M.Khurram Thank you and i feel the same way as you
I wish the parents of our generation had talked to us about Sex openly. Isnt it better to learn about an important part of life from a prper source rather than in bits and pieces from friends and other know-it-alls?
Islam is truly very open about sex and infact one “uncle” the first time he read Sahih Bukhari was amazed that it talked openly about the Prophet (SAW) and his relations with his wives. He had grown up in a society where Sex was a four letter word eventhough it is fact of life.
While the facts on ground can only be better known after a talk with Sabrina or 1 of the board members of the school AND the parents.
As for the unifrom I think the parents should realize that unless their girls are wearing an abaya it really doesn’t matter what else they wear.
-Aly
@ Aly liar i told u so much about it when u were growing up but u never listened did u!!! 😛
I am amazed by the number of people who want this kind of modern enlightenment in our society. Teaching safe and secure sex, contraception pills, condoms and reproduction to class 6-7 is justified??
There should be a limit.
Why do we want our children to be so uninformed? Do u want them to be SO INFORMED that one day your child come home and tell u YAy papa i have learn how I was born. I know what u did to mom??????
haven’t linked YOUR THOUGHTS with the current media reports.
@FaisalK: By liberals i mean those who ignorantly and blindly follow west yet they show narrow-mindness on various matters. I don;t get what do you mean by taking Jihad’s verse in context. All I know that the syllabus of Islamiat has been altered a lot and the verses have been omitted out which irks West, that is verses about Jihad.
As far as educating the kids about sex, I second it but 1)at the right age 2)I will prefer my wife coaches my daughter and me teaches to my son rather than I expose my kids in a public forum where curious kids could actually “think” about applying the education. I already expressed my views on this blog:
nabiluppal.wordpress.com/2009/08/29/sex-education-in-karachi/#comment-30
This debate is very interesting.There is a very good article in dawn newspaper of 31st august on this issue. I think The education should be given by teachers trained and in an environment that does not hurt our religious and social values. Anatomy and human physiology should be taught and reproductive health topics should be taught by modifying the text. It is very important that we teach the young ones about STD’s ,hygeine and other infections. pakistani girls usually get married early , also pubertal changes are handled easily if correct medical information is given at the right time. A psychological aspect should also be part of curriculum. Dr Shifa Naeem has done a lot of research in psychological problems od teenagers, she should be part of making this curriculum. religion , should be brought into focus as ABC to prevent AIDS ,mentions abstinence as the first choice.Prevention of disease and infertility which is so important in Pakistani marital life is important issue and should be taught so that we are a healthy society.
I am amazed by the number of people who want this kind of modern enlightenment in our society. Teaching safe and secure sex, contraception pills, condoms and reproduction to class 6-7 is justified??
There should be a limit.
OK – Move it to class 8-9.
Do people not take contraceptive pills in Pakistan? If many do, they need to be made aware of all the health factors involved.
Do u want them to be SO INFORMED that one day your child come home and tell u YAy papa i have learn how I was born. I know what u did to mom??????
To be honest, 7th grade is not that young. I learned this straight from a dictionary in the 5th grade. Are you going to suggest that kids don’t approach dictionaries?
We can quibble about the grade, and I’m fine with 8-9. However, I’m dead set against those who say it should never be taught by Metric. There are far too many people I’ve come across whose notions of sex (in terms of health, etc) are blatantly wrong, and they look fairly stupid. Stupider still when they say it in a public forum or to the press. Very likely, it’s because they were never taught it and picked up a lot of myths from their surroundings.
Every child gets his first hand education from his parent; be it sexual education,religious or moral one. If parents are not capable to train their kids and have tendency to provide education on their own and depend on 3rd party resources from the beginning then such parents should apply techniques to avoid having a baby.
I m all for sex education but 1)at the right age that comes after 15/16 2)Must be given by parents only.
Every child gets his first hand education from his parent; be it sexual education,religious or moral one.
Generally not true. Beyond a certain age, kids learn more from their environment, and particularly their peers, than they do from parents. The impact parents have after that age is overemphasized – it’s simply weak.
If parents are not capable to train their kids and have tendency to provide education on their own and depend on 3rd party resources from the beginning then such parents should apply techniques to avoid having a baby.
That’s a naive view. Most parents I know did not discuss sex education with their kids. Most turned out fine because it’s taught in school.
Obviously, parents shouldn’t simply not teach anything and rely completely on 3rd party sources. However, the notion that they shouldn’t rely on 3rd party sources at all is equally naive. There should be a healthy mix, and I see no reason why sex education should be left to the parents alone. Especially when a lot of parents tend to be wrong on a lot of things related to that subject.
I m all for sex education but 1)at the right age that comes after 15/16
By age 15, almost all normal “children” will be well into puberty. It can begin as early as 12 for boys and earlier for girls. Most boys will start having wet dreams prior to age 15. You want them to be confused about it and have to go through potentially years of confusing physiological changes before you explain to them what is going on?
And BTW, by age 15, few kids will learn much from parents. And where I grew up (in a Muslim country), by that age almost all kids would have known about it by that age from outside influences. It’s best that they learn it in a formal controlled manner in school than from an uncontrolled, and often wrong, source within the culture.
Dear
This is not the matter of simply printing a book with some pictures or guidance on sex. The other conflicting issue was the steps taken by the school management compelling student and teachers to adopt a culture that is against the values of our culture and religion…
Pls be un-biased in thoughts instead of simply supporting the so called WIDE and OPEN MINDS
Sometimes u need to be strict with children, but that doesnt mean you should hit them. Being strict and hitting children are two different things. What hitting does is makes the child more stubborn. Many a times, we hit a child not coz of his fault but coz we are frustrated about something else in our life. That is very unfair. Would we have liked something similar to be done to us when we were a child? Even if we have gone through it in our childhood, it does not give us any reason to do the same to the little budding flowers. Keep calm, give them love and they will be just fine and listen to you even more.
Faisal, your sources were apparently not well informed and I wish you should have gone through the content yourself before starting a debate on it. Half-truth is far more dangerous than lies.
The “objectionable” content in Science book of DPS discussed about contraception and birth control. Do you want that to teach to kids of grade 5-7? Some books had the pages torn off while others had the pages stapled. Now you give a partly stapled book to a child and believe he/she is not going to open to out of curiosity?
Also, the most important aspect of DPS curriculum that was not highlighted in media was the Islamiat book. It was clearly blasphemous. A book by Christian author, intented to teach Christian kids about Islam. It had a sketch of the Prophet (saw), sketch showing the Sahaba (ra) and the narration was in a style not fit for Muslims. If you have any doubts, google about the book. FYI it is already banned in Malaysia.
I don’t think anybody in their sane minds will oppose sex education. However, what and how should be decided by parents and highly trained educationists. Not every run-o-mill school CEO should have the right to come and impose on kids anything that they deem fit.
You should seriously think about steering this site into a major authority in this niche. You clearly have a good knowledge of the areas all of us are searching for on this blog anyways and you could potentially even earn a dollar or three off of some offers. I would look into following recent trends and increasing the number of articles you put up and I guarantee you’d start receiving some nice traffic in the near future. Just a thought, good luck regardless!
great share