Teaching the Arabic language has been made compulsory in primary and secondary schools in Islamabad, through a bill passed by the Senate unanimously. According to the bill, all grades from 1st to 5th will be taught the Arabic language, and grades from 6th and 12th will be taught Arabic grammar. The bill namely, the “Compulsory Teaching of Arabic Language Bill 2020” was set in motion in August of last year, by the PML-N Senator, Javed Abbasi.
The bill states, “There shall be in all educational intuitions compulsory teaching of (a) Arabic language in classes, grades or, as the case may be, level I to V in a prescribed manner; and (b) the grammar of Arabic language in classes, grades or, as the case may be, levels VI to XII in such prescribed manner so that proficiency in Arabic language is completed up to class, grade or, as the case may be, level XII.”
The mentioned bill requires to be passed by the National Assembly for it to become a part of the Parliament. Once it is passed, its implementation would be initiated in the next six months.
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PML-N Senator, Javed Abbasi believes that the Arabic language should be taught as a compulsory subject to Pakistani students and must to included in the schools’ syllabus. A good grip on the Arabic language would prove beneficial for the students once they step into the outside world. Senator Javed Abbasi believes, “Our people are learning English, Chinese, and even Russian, so what is so difficult about learning Arabic?”
He further went on to state that the Arabic language stands as the fifth most spoken language across the world, learning the language would open doors for Pakistani students into the Middle Eastern world. They would have an edge over other aspirants looking for employment opportunities in the Arab world.
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The statement of objects and reasons of the proposed bill stated that “besides having religious importance for Muslims, Arabic is among the five largest spoken languages of the world. A large number of populations from around the world seek to do business and employment in the rich Arab states. Thus, knowledge of Arabic language will not only enlighten the understanding of Islam and the message of Holy Quran, but it will also broaden the employment and business opportunities for the citizens of Pakistan as well.”
Moreover, Senator Javed Abbasi further informed that the bill once passed by the National Assembly will apply to the “students in all the educational institutions of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), including the educational institutions affiliated with the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, and all public sector institutions owned and controlled by the federal government, wherever they may be.”
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