Influence of Islamization and Propaganda in Curriculum of Higher Secondary Education in Pakistan: A Study of the Sindh Textbook Board of Pakistan

Abstract

The phenomenon of language is undoubtedly social, and its primary function is to facilitate interaction with the world. The content of The English Language textbook of Class 9 published by the Sindh Textbook Board of Sindh, Pakistan, under study portrays language as a rather aggressive instrument of indoctrination as well as exclusion from the dominantly marginalized categories. This study employed the CDA framework attributed to Fair Clough 1995 as a lens to expose the covert preconceptions concerning the discourse within the textbook. English in Pakistan is taught as a curriculum subject in the context of L2 Acquisition. However, the textbook language structures have interwoven and overt ideological patterns Rahman (2002). The primary target of the language textbooks is learners, with the intent to embrace indoctrination as a primary tool of Islamization and glorification of war and war heroes. This study found ‘Critical Discourse Analysis’ level pertaining to Text to be overused. The inescapable conclusion is that language textbooks owe it to users to be free from indoctrination and assist learners in developing a critical stance to provide divergent thinking necessary to sustain the ever-changing context of the modern world. Designers and policymakers are advised to concentrate on the language learning components and the content of the learning materials, rather than on content-focused instructional materials. This focus on research will help policymakers and educators conceptualize why indoctrination should be discouraged in the education process- Language, in its essence, should be taught unfiltered.