A resolution has been submitted to the Balochistan Assembly seeking to make basic Arabic a compulsory subject in all government primary schools across the province. The resolution was moved by Member of the Provincial Assembly Shahida Rauf during the Assembly session in Quetta on Friday.
According to the resolution, basic Arabic education should be made compulsory in government primary schools so that children get an equal opportunity to learn the language from the early stages of their education. It says the move would give every child, whether in a city or a village, the same chance to begin learning Arabic at school.
The resolution states that Arabic is the language of the Holy Quran and that teaching it at the primary level would help children understand the meanings of Quranic verses. It recommends that the curriculum include basic Arabic vocabulary and grammar, along with the meanings of commonly used words from the Holy Quran.
It also calls for trained Arabic teachers and quality textbooks to be provided in government primary schools, so that the subject is taught properly and children in both urban and rural areas receive the same standard of education. The resolution stresses that without qualified teachers and good books, making the subject compulsory would not achieve its purpose.
The resolution was taken up during the Assembly session held on Friday afternoon, after a two-day recess. A resolution is a formal recommendation of the house, and it will now be for the Assembly and the provincial government to decide how the proposal is carried forward.
If the proposal is accepted, the provincial education department would need to prepare a curriculum for basic Arabic at the primary level, arrange training for teachers and ensure that textbooks reach schools across the province, including in remote districts.
Supporters of the proposal say early teaching of Arabic would help children connect with the language of the Holy Quran from a young age, while also giving them a useful second language skill. The resolution does not propose any change for private schools, as it applies to government primary schools only.
The Assembly session also took up other business, including an attention notice by BNP-Awami member Mir Asadullah Baloch about measures for the completion of road construction projects in Panjgur district.
