Sindh to Add Hindu Religious Textbooks in Public Schools

Sindh’s Education and Literacy Department is preparing to introduce religious textbooks for Hindu students in government schools, a move aimed at giving minority pupils access to faith-specific learning within the formal public education system. The decision emerged in Karachi on April 30 and applies to students enrolled in grades three, four and five across the province.

The department has asked the Sindh Textbook Board to arrange the distribution of three Hindu religious studies books for the current academic year, 2026–27. The request follows a decision taken by the Executive Committee of the Sindh Curriculum Council during a meeting held earlier this month.

According to the official communication, the textbooks are to be made available through the provincial textbook board rather than through an informal or parallel arrangement. This is significant because it places minority religious education within the same administrative channel used for other government school materials.

Chief Executive Advisor Dr Fauzia Khan informed the textbook board that publication costs for the current academic year would be covered by Prem Sagar Sanstha Karachi, a social welfare organisation. She also asked the board to plan budgetary support for publication in the next academic year so the initiative does not remain dependent only on one-time external assistance.

The development carries particular importance in Sindh, where Pakistan’s Hindu population is concentrated in large numbers, especially in districts across the province. For years, education rights advocates have argued that minority students need curriculum options that recognise their religious identity while allowing them to remain fully included in public schools.

Pakistan has previously taken limited steps in this direction at the federal level. In 2023, the National Curriculum Council issued no-objection certificates for religious books linked to several minority communities in federally supervised educational institutions, including Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Baha’i, Zoroastrian, Kalasha and Buddhist students.

The Sindh decision now brings that debate into a provincial school system serving millions of children. If implemented effectively, it could become an important model for inclusive curriculum planning, especially in areas where students from minority families often study alongside Muslim classmates but have lacked structured religious education of their own.

The move also comes amid continuing concerns about how textbooks shape social attitudes. Rights groups and education researchers have repeatedly warned that exclusionary classroom narratives can contribute to prejudice, social distance and intolerance against religious and sectarian minorities. A more inclusive curriculum is therefore being seen not only as an education reform but also as a wider social intervention.

For students and families, the immediate impact will depend on timely printing, transparent distribution and teacher readiness. Books alone may not be enough unless schools are guided on how to accommodate minority religious instruction respectfully, without isolating children or creating administrative confusion during regular class schedules.

The next phase will rest with the Sindh Textbook Board, which must ensure that the books reach government schools during the current academic year. Authorities will also need to clarify how future funding, teacher allocation and curriculum monitoring will be handled so that the initiative becomes a sustainable part of Sindh’s education system rather than a short-term announcement.