“We appreciate the government for involving the Catholic Commission in developing the syllabus of Christianity,” Gill said. “However, its [monitoring] and implementation is another challenge. Policies for minorities often flop in our country. Also, the long-term process will require training of teachers and a salary structure.”
The Christian lesson plan includes a study of the Bible, the life of Jesus Christ, Church history, and the values of Christianity, among other things. Some elements of the lesson plan include a study of the Trinity, the miracles of Christ, Christian moral teaching, the biblical concept of the Messiah, and the Council of Nicea.
Some aspects of the lesson plan also touch on Christianity in Pakistan specifically. It includes a study of the life of St. Thomas the Apostle and his ministry to South Asia. It also teaches about martyrdom, specifically the assassination of Servant of God Shahbaz Bhatti — a Catholic who served as Pakistan minorities minister. Members of the Pakistani Taliban killed Bhatt, who was an outspoken critic of the country’s anti-blasphemy laws and a supporter of the rights of Christians.
Anjum James Paul, a Pakistani Catholic and the chairman of the Pakistan Minorities Teachers’ Association (PMTA), also expressed gratitude for the ministry’s announcement. He also serves as the chairman of the political science department of the Government Post Graduate College Samundri in the Punjabi region of Pakistan.
“PMTA is highly thankful to the government of Pakistan, National Curriculum Council Secretariat, and all those organizations and the individuals who have supported PMTA for equal rights and equal opportunities to all students without discrimination,” Paul said in a statement.
Joop Koopman, a spokesman for Aid to the Church in Need USA (ACN), welcomed the news as well. ACN is a Catholic charity that focuses on the persecution of Christians around the world.