Abstract
Pakistan is home to religious and cultural ideologies that greatly support the values of human rights. Nevertheless, the multilayered philosophies of human rights in Pakistan have at times heightened clashes and bred a culture of tension among higher education learners. Ideological filters in national education policies have removed human rights elements from the curriculum, making it more difficult to shape positive attitudes of students and teachers toward human rights. This article outlines the challenges and opportunities of teaching human rights education to Muslim teachers, and traces the national conceptualization of globalization and the state of human rights in Pakistan. It then discusses how policies and curricula, particularly in teacher education, can address human rights values even in the face of prevailing challenges and ideological resistance. Finally, it reflects on the challenges and prospects of teaching a global human rights course to prospective teachers in Pakistan.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Afzal, M. (2015). Education and attitudes in Pakistan: Understanding perceptions of terrorism—Special report. Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace. https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/SR367-Education-and-Attitudes-in-Pakistan.pdf.
Ahmed, A., & Donnan, H. (2005). Islam, globalization and postmodernity. London: Routledge.
Ali, S. (2009). Governing education policy in a globalizing world: The sphere of authority of the Pakistani state. Unpublished Ph.D. thesis. Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh. https://www.era.lib.ed.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/1842/5800/Ali2009.pdf?sequence=2.
Ali, T. (2011). Understanding how practices of teacher education in Pakistan compare with the popular theories and theories and narrative of reform of teacher education in international context. International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 1(8), 208–222. http://ecommons.aku.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1080&context=pakistan_ied_pdck.
Ali, I. (2015). Four well-educated men held for terrorism charge. Down, 19 December. https://www.dawn.com/news/1227381.
Ali, S. (2016). The sphere of authority: Governing education policy in Pakistan amidst global pressures. Globalisation, Societies and Education, 15(2), 217–237. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767724.2015.1127575.
Ali, I. (2017). Next generation of militants may emerge from academic institutes. Down, 13 July. https://www.dawn.com/news/1344913.
Ali, I., Rehman, A., & Chaudhry, H. (2015). From IBA graduate to ‘terror suspect’? Down, 21 May. http://www.dawn.com/news/1183322.
Aly, J. H. (2007). Education in Pakistan: A white paper revised—Document to debate and finalize the national education policy. Islamabad: National Education Policy Review Team.
Awan, M. (2012). Impact of radical Islamisation of education on Pakistani society. Pakistaniaat: A Journal of Pakistan Studies, 4(2), 45–55. http://scholarlyexchange.org/ojs/index.php/PKN/article/download/10547/7499.
Bajwa, S. (2009). Globalization: Challenges for Pakistan. NDU Journal, 1(1), 32–60. http://www.ndu.edu.pk/issra/issra_pub/articles/ndu-journal/NDU-Journal-2009/4_GLOBALIZATION.pdf.
Barany, Z. (2009). Authoritarianism in Pakistan. Stanford, CA. Hoover Institute. www.hoover.org/research/authoritarianism-pakistan.
Barends, M. (2005). Shari’a in Pakistan. In P. Marshall (Ed.), Radical Islam’s rules: The worldwide spread of extreme Shari’a law (pp. 65–86). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
Beauchamp, C., & Thomas, L. (2009). Understanding teacher identity: An overview of issues in the literature and implications for teacher education. Cambridge Journal of Education, 39(2), 175–189.
Bird, L., Moon, B., & Storey, A. (2013). The context for teacher education in developing countries. In B. Moon (Ed.), Teacher education and the challenge of development: A global analysis (pp. 19–31). New York, NY: Routledge.
Boon, H. J. (2011). Raising the bar: Ethics education for quality teachers. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 36(7), 104–121. https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2011v36n7.2.
Cornbleth, C. (2014). Understanding teacher education in contentious times: Political cross-currents and conflicting interests. New York, NY: Routledge.
Dawn (2016). Extremism on campuses, 15 March. http://www.dawn.com/news/1245701.
Dawn (2017a). Editorial: Extremism in universities, 17 July. https://www.dawn.com/news/1345738.
Dawn (2017b). HEC urges varsities to prevent radicalisation of students, staff, 8 September. https://www.dawn.com/news/1356343.
DeLaet, D. (2015). The global struggle for human rights: Universal principles in world politics (2nd ed.). Stanford, CT: Cengage Learning.
Gerber, P. (2013). Understanding human rights. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar.
Haider, Z. (2013). The ideological struggle for Pakistan. Stanford, CA: Hoover Press.
Haleem, I. (2003). Ethnic and sectarian violence and the propensity towards praetorianism in Pakistan. Third World Quarterly, 24(3), 463–477. https://doi.org/10.1080/0143659032000084410.
Haque, R. (2014). Youth radicalization in Pakistan. Washington, D.C.: United States Institute of Peace. https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/PB%20167_Youth_Radicalization_in_Pakistan.pdf.
Hastrup, K. (2001). Human rights on common grounds. The Hague: Kluwer Law International.
Hicks, D., & Holden, C. (2007). Teaching the global dimension: Key principles and effective practice. London: Routledge.
Hudood Ordinance (1979). Council of Islamic Ideology. http://cii.gov.pk/publications/h.report.pdf.
Imran, M. (2016). Human rights action plan launched. In The news international, 26 February. https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/101108-Human-rights-action-plan-launch.
Imtiaz, S. (2010). Mapping of peace initiatives in Pakistan. In Islamabad: Save the Children–Sweden. https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/sites/default/files/documents/3098.pdf.
Jones, E., Coelen, R., Beelen, J., & Wit, H. (2015). Global and local internationalization. Rotterdam: Sense.
Keengwe, J. (2016). Handbook of research on global issues in next-generation teacher education. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference.
Khaki, J. A. (2014). Divide in education. Dawn, 1 August. http://www.dawn.com/news/1122438.
Khaki, A., & Haider, Y. (2012). Readings in human rights. Islamabad: Foundation for Research and Development.
Khan, Z. (2007). Human rights: Theory and practice (2nd ed.). Karachi: Pakistan Law House.
Khan, M. S. (2010). Secularization of education and its hazardous implications for Pakistan. The Dialogue, 5(1), 87–95. http://www.qurtuba.edu.pk/thedialogue/The%20Dialogue/5_1/Dialogue_January_March2010_87-95.pdf.
Longview Foundation (2008). Teacher preparation for the global age: The imperative for change. Falls Church, VA: Longview Foundation. http://www.longviewfdn.org/index.php/download_file/force/10/.
Mahmood, S., Ahmed, S., Zubair, M., Ali, Q., & Khan, H. (2016). Educational system of Pakistan: Critical analysis in Islamic perspective. Asian Journal of Management Sciences and Education, 5(3), 96–103. http://www.ajmse.leena-luna.co.jp/AJMSEPDFs/Vol.5(3)/AJMSE2016(5.3-11).pdf.
Malik, I. H. (2002). Religious minorities in Pakistan. Minority Rights Group International. www.refworld.org/pdfid/469cbfc30.pdf.
McClennen, S., & Moore, A. (2016). The Routledge companion to literature and human rights. New York, NY: Routledge.
Miller, E. (2014). Terrorist attacks on educational institutions: Background report. In The national consortium for the study of terrorism and responses to terrorism. https://www.start.umd.edu/pubs/Peshawar%20School%20Background%20Report%20December%202014.pdf.
Ministry of Education (2009). National professional standards for teachers in Pakistan. Islamabad: Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan. http://unesco.org.pk/education/teachereducation/files/National%20Professional%20Standards%20for%20Teachers.pdf.
Mohammadi, A. (2012). Islam encountering globalization. Hoboken, NJ: Taylor and Francis.
Morgan, J. (2011). Waging intellectual war on repression and class divides. In Times Higher Education, 4 August. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/waging-intellectual-war-on-repression-and-class-divides/417006.article.
NACTE [National Accreditation Council for Teacher Education] (2015). NACTE annual report 2014–2015. Lahore: National Accreditation Council for Teacher Education. http://www.nacte.org.pk/Download/NACTEAnnualReport2014-15.pdf.
National Commission for Human Rights (2017). Pakistan. http://www.na.gov.pk/uploads/documents/1494943773_156.pdf.
Noor, S., & Hussain, D. (2009). Women radicalization: An empirical study. Islamabad: Pak Institute for Peace Studies. http://san-pips.com/download.php?f=132.pdf.
OECD (2015). Teacher matters: Attracting, developing and retaining effective teachers. Paris: OECD. https://www.oecd.org/edu/school/34990905.pdf.
Osler, A. (2005). Teachers, human rights and diversity: Educating citizens in multicultural societies. Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England: Trentham Books.
Osler, A., & Leung, Y. (2011). Human rights education, politics and power. Education, Citizenship and Social Justice, 6(3), 199–203. https://doi.org/10.1177/1746197911417837.
Osler, A., & Starkey, H. (2010). Teachers and human rights education. Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England: Trentham Books.
Pakistan Penal Code (1860). http://www.aghslaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Pakistan-Penal-Code.pdf.
Pakistan Today (2015). Two more PU teachers, student held for links with hizbuttahrir. Retrieved December 14, http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2015/12/14/city/lahore/terror-links-ctd-arrests-two-more-punjab-university-professors-one-student/.
Rashid, A., & Muzaffar, I. (Eds.) (2015). Educational crisis and reform perspectives from South Asia. Karachi: Oxford University Press.
Rashid, A., & Watoo, M. A. (2015). Challenges and opportunities of globalization for the development of human rights in Pakistan 2010–2014. A Research Journal of South Asian Studies, 30(2), 215–229. http://pu.edu.pk/images/journal/csas/PDF/14%20Azhar%20Rashid_30_2.pdf.
Rizvi, M. (2015). Teacher education has been an ignorant area in Pakistan. In C. Craig & L. Orland-Barak (Eds.), International teacher education: Promising pedagogies (Part B) (pp. 9–30). Bingley, United Kingdom: Emerald Group.
Rumi, R., & Nauman, Q. (2013). Apolitical or depoliticised? Pakistan’s youth and politics—A historical analysis of youth participation in Pakistan politics. Jinnah Institute. www.jinnah-institute.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/ddddd.pdf.
Sadruddin, M. M. (2015). Assessment of global education perspectives in the curriculum of associate degree of education. Pakistan Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 53(2), 79–95.
Sadruddin, M. M. (2016). Study on the attitude of university teachers and students towards global issues pertaining to human rights: Exploring global phenomena through local disposition. Unpublished Ph.D. thesis. Karachi: Hamdard University.
Sadruddin, M. M., & Wahab, Z. (2013). Are we preparing global competent teachers? Evaluation of the incorporation of global education perspectives in teacher education curriculum in Pakistan. Bulletin of Education and Research, 35(1), 75–94. http://www.pu.edu.pk/images/journal/ier/PDF-FILES/Munir%20Moosa%20Sadruddin%20&%20Zaira%20Wahab_V35_No_1_2013.pdf.
Saeed, A., Zulfiqar, S., Ata, G., & Rathore, K. (2015). Impact of globalization and the role of international agencies in education policy making process of South Asian countries: A case of Pakistan. South Asian Studies, 30(2), 297–316. www.pu.edu.pk/images/journal/csas/PDF/19%20Amir%20Saeed_30_2.pdf.
Sahin, C. (2011). Perceptions of prospective teachers about tolerance education. Educational Research and Reviews, 6(1), 77–86. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ923629.
Saleem, K., Ahmad, M., & Saeed, M. (2014). Islamization of education in Pakistan from rhetoric to reality. Islamization of Education in Pakistan, 51. http://iri.aiou.edu.pk/indexing/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/22-islamization-of-education.pdf.
Sharar, T., & Memon, M. (2015a). A critical review of global education: Theoretical framework and its relevance to Pakistan. The Sindh University Journal of Education, 44(1), 50–71. http://sujo.usindh.edu.pk/index.php/SUJE/article/viewFile/829/783.
Sharar, T.,& Memon, M. (2015b). Implementation of Pakistan Studies curriculum: A case of developing students’ global perspectives. Journal of Research and Reflections in Education, 9(2), 124–133. http://ue.edu.pk/jrre/articles/92004.pdf.
Tibbitts, F., & Totten, S. (2012). Human rights education. In S. Totten & J. Pedersen (Eds.), Educating about social issues in the 20th and 21st centuries: A critical annotated bibliography (pp. 195–222). Charlotte, NC: Information Age.
United Nations (1994). United nations decade for human rights education. http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Education/Training/Pages/Decade.aspx.
Waseem, M. (2011). Patterns of conflict in Pakistan: Implications for policy. The Saba Center for Middle East Policy. Washington, D.C: Brookings Institute. https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/01_pakistan_waseem.pdf.
Willemse, M., Lunenberg, M., & Korthagen, F. (2005). Values in education: A challenge for teacher educators. Teaching and Teacher Education, 21(2), 205–217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2004.12.009.
Yusuf, H. (2016). University radicalization: Pakistan’s next counterterrorism challenge. Combating Terrorism Center Sentinel, 9(2). https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/university-radicalization-pakistans-next-counterterrorism-challenge.
Zeichner, K. M. (2009). Teacher education and the struggle for social justice. New York, NY: Routledge.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
About this article
Cite this article
Sadruddin, M.M. Teaching human rights through global education to teachers in Pakistan. Prospects 47, 73–86 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-018-9425-1
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-018-9425-1