Punjab Decides Not to Print Quran for Classes 1 to 5: Education and religious publishers have expressed concern after the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board (PCTB) decided to discontinue printing Quranic Chapters (Siparas) for children in elementary and secondary school.
Despite Punjabi pupils receiving over 7.9 million Quranic chapters last year, this decision is made. Stakeholders are puzzled by the explanation given for the printing stoppage: a lack of funding. For the publication of the Quranic Chapters, the board spent nearly Rs. 1.5 billion last year.
Punjab Chooses Not to Print the Quran in Classrooms 1–5
In the upcoming academic year 2024–2025, the PCTB will not print the Quranic chapters due to financial concerns. There is also a suggestion to reduce textbook sizes, which is viewed as a way to save money. The Chief Secretary and the Secretary of Education have reviewed the summaries of these decisions; final approval is still pending.
A number of prominent people have harshly criticized the PCTB’s decision, including Pakistan’s President Qudratullah, Patron-in-Chief Hafiz Al-Barakat Shah, and Quran Publishers Association Chairman Syed Ahsan Mahmood Shah. The Punjabi government should change its mind since they believe it is illegal and improper.
The Chairman of the Punjab Quran Board, Maulana Hafiz Fazl Rahim, has written to the Chief Minister of Punjab requesting assistance. He clarified that there is no official government directive to cease publishing the Quranic Chapters indefinitely.
Many are concerned about how this decision will affect Quranic education in Punjab’s public schools and worry that it will have a significant impact on young students’ religious education. The Punjabi government has not yet taken any further action, so the situation remains open.
