Punjab Textbook Board wants a scarf on Sir Isaac Newton’s head

Punjab Textbook Board wants a scarf on Sir Isaac Newton’s head

Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board after reviewing a science book for the future use in schools has suggested that the scarf should be added on Sir Isaac’s head, “so as to apply proper purdah.”

The recommendation stirred a debate on social media platforms, questioning the intellect of the academic policymakers.

A researcher Dr Ayesha Razzaque explained the event which was published in the local newspaper:

Some time back, a publisher submitted a science textbook to the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board (PCTB) for review and approval for use in schools. On one of the pages was a picture of Sir Isaac Newton next to a tree, depicting the scientific legend of the moment an apple fell from the tree that would inspire him to discover the law of gravitation. In that picture Newton was shown wearing a long garment and maybe long hair or a wig, as was fashionable for that era. One of the comments from the PCTB’s review of this book was that the ‘lady’ in the picture be edited to add a scarf on her head, so as to observe proper purdah. True story!

A journalist Amber Rahim Shamsi also said in her tweet that Punjab has decided to explicitly disallow the teaching of computer studies, art, music, handwriting, drama etc. “Their reasoning? “You will overburden children. The SNC prepared by the government is a well-balanced curriculum and enough for children at the primary level.”

A Single National Curriculum has been implemented in Punjab by the federal government and many academics are highlighting significant discrepancies in how the idea of SNC was presented earlier.