The Punjab School Education Department directed all divisional, district and chief executive officers of the schools to extend the teaching of the Holy Quran as a compulsory subject from primary to higher secondary.
The notification was released by Rana Abdul Qayyum Khan, Director of Public Instructions (EE), Punjab.
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According to the notification the teaching of the Holy Quran has already been introduced as a compulsory subject in all public & private schools (up to the primary level). Now the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board has also issued a scheme of studies regarding the teaching of the holy book.
It states now this subject is compulsory for all levels of classes i.e. Class-I to XII in primary, elementary, high and higher secondary level schools, under the 2018 Act Amended in 2021.
The notification said some necessary directions and guidelines regarding the teaching of the Holy Quran had been circulated in the field from time to time to ensure implementation in true spirit.
It directed to all heads of institutions and supervisory staff that district education authorities “Get the School Education Department policies implemented in letter and spirit and further to ensure that regular classes/period of the compulsory subject are observed as per timetable in all the schools (public & private) under their domain /jurisdiction.”
It also directed that the Punjab Examination Commission CEO prepare a question bank for the compulsory subject in the sense that the quality of teaching and learning could be determined.
Earlier KPK Government made Quranic Studies a compulsory subject for Matriculation & Intermediate level.
According to the details, A 75 marks examination for Quranic subjects will also be added in the 2023 annual Matriculation and Intermediate examinations, which will increase the total marks from 1,100 to 1,225.
Students belonging to religious minority communities in the province will study the additional Ethics-based subject in place of Quranic Studies. The number of compulsory subjects will be increased to five after this addition
