Pakistan Senate Body Unanimously Okays Quran Education Bill
The bill was earlier approved by National Assembly (NA) and now will be presented in senate for further legislation.
The committee was chaired by Senator Nauman Wazir Khattak. The senate body in its agenda discussed approval of Quran Bill 2017, and consideration of calling attention regarding the granting of equivalence certificates to O and A level moved by Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq.
The Minister of State for Federal Education Baligh-ur-Rehman briefed the legislative body regarding features of the Quran Bill 2017.
The minister said that jurisdiction of the bill will be restricted under the umbrella of federal education ministry.
"The new law will be applicable in the institutes of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), FATA and the institutes running under the ministry,” said the minister.
The minister also described that it will be applicable for Muslim students and non-Muslim students will be exempted from the law.
Teaching of Holy Quran will be implemented in the educational institutes from 1st grade to the intermediate level in two phases.
The minister informed the committee that from grade 1st to 5th Muslim students will be taught to read Quran while from grade 6 to 12, it will be taught with Urdu translation.
The minster also said that provinces have also given the nod to adopt Quran teaching as policy and the private sector schools of the federal capital are also agreed to introduce the teachings in institutions.
Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarian (PPPP) Senator Sehar Kamran stressed on the qualification of teachers for the teaching of Holy Quran as it is being implemented at a policy level.
The minister informed the body after the bill turned into law, the issue of teachers qualification will be addressed in its rules and regulations.
The chair approved the bill unanimously.
Source: The Nation
