Cultural Representation and Alignment of Oxford Progressive English Textbooks with Pakistan's National Education Policy Objectives

Abstract

This study aims to assess the extent to which the secondary level English textbooks (Oxford Progressive English Textbooks Grade VI, VII, and VIII) adopted by the private educational network meet the cultural and ideological goals defined in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2017-2025 and the National Education Policy Development Framework - 2024 of Pakistan. This policy insists that educational materials maintain the national identity and support local cultural values. It also promotes the regional and inter-provincial harmony during the teaching of English. This paper looks at the compatibility of these text materials with national mandates. It does so through systematic checklist evaluations and a modified version of Ramirez and Hall's model for analyzing text materials. The findings indicate a huge gap in the system. The textbooks are infiltrated with foreign realities, secular ideologies, and Western models of society. It directly ignores or engages in contradiction with the socio-cultural and religious norms of the indigenous communities of Pakistan. Local content is included, but it is insignificant and disproportionate compared to the foreign content. The National Education Policy Development Framework (2024) will also be considered for analysis. That framework also favors earlier policy frameworks. It demands explicit alignment of all instructional materials with Pakistan’s ideological and cultural boundaries. This includes provisions against content that promotes secular liberalism. This paper concludes with a critical discussion of the psychosocial impact of this mismatch. It also provides recommendations for textbook regularization and curriculum alignment.