By Anwar Zada Gulyar
BAJAUR: A few years ago, the Department of Education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with a noble intention, introduced a book titled Mutaliah Qur’an Hakeem (Study of the Holy Qur’an) in government schools. The aim of this project was to familiarize the new generation with the true understanding of the Qur’an, giving children not only the ability to read but also to comprehend its meaning. The government spent a huge sum of money on this initiative and delivered thousands of copies to schools across all districts through trucks. Unfortunately, the ground realities do not reflect the success of this project.
Reports and on-the-ground observations reveal a tragic picture: these books can now be found scattered in drains, garbage dumps, and junk shops. The very book that was meant to be in the hands of children is being sold off as scrap. The pressing question is—why did this happen?
A responsible official from the Department of Education admitted that while Mutaliah Qur’an Hakeem was indeed distributed in schools, it could not become an active part of the curriculum. In most schools, there is only one Islamic Studies teacher responsible for teaching the subject. At the same time, four separate periods are allocated for religious subjects—Arabic, Islamic Studies, Tajweed (correct Qur’anic recitation), and Mutaliah Qur’an Hakeem. Under these circumstances, it becomes difficult to manage time for all subjects, and as a result, Mutaliah Qur’an Hakeem is often neglected.
Education experts and concerned officials suggest that instead of teaching Arabic, Tajweed, Islamic Studies, and Mutaliah Qur’an Hakeem as separate subjects, they should be integrated into a single subject—Islamic Studies. This would allow one teacher to teach all relevant material effectively while reducing the unnecessary burden on students. Otherwise, these books will continue to be distributed for free but will go to waste since they are not part of the actual curriculum.
It is truly unfortunate that despite spending a large amount of public money, the government failed to achieve the desired results of this project. The books are printed and distributed, but because they are not incorporated into the teaching process, they ultimately end up in scrap markets. Thus, public resources are wasted, and the original purpose of the initiative is lost.
What is urgently needed is for the government to frame education-friendly policies and design curricula in line with ground realities and the availability of teachers. If religious subjects are streamlined and combined into a single, simplified curriculum, it will not only save resources but also ensure quality education for students.
The conclusion is painful yet clear: instead of enlightening children with the light of the Qur’an, books like Mutaliah Qur’an Hakeem are ending up in junkyards—an undeniable testimony to the weaknesses of our education system. Now, it rests upon the government to decide whether to take this matter seriously and implement reforms, or to let both the curriculum and public resources continue to be wasted.
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