Teaching Indiapakistan Relations

The rivalry between India and Pakistan began with the British withdrawal from the British Indian Empire in 1947 and the sudden partition of India immediately afterward. Seventy-five years later, it remains powerful. While the countries share a long history and considerable socio-cultural affinity, relations since Partition have been marked by three wars, constant border skirmishes, and a deep distrust that permeates both societies. In each, teaching about those relations is weighted with political and cultural significance, and research shows that curricula have been used deliberately to shape the understanding of new generations.

This book explores the attitudes and pedagogical decision-making of teachers in India and Pakistan when teaching India-Pakistan relations. Situating teachers in the context of reformed textbooks and curriculums in both countries that explicitly advocate critical thinking and social cohesion, Kusha Anand explores how far teachers have enacted these changes in their classrooms. What she finds is that while there is progress towards the stated goals, teachers in both countries face pressures from the interests of school and state, and often miss opportunities to engage with multiple perspectives and stereotypes in their classrooms.