Marginalization of Pashto Language in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Education Policies: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Curriculum Documents

Abstract

This study investigates the marginalization of Pashto within the education system of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan, through a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of curriculum policy documents. Despite Pashto being the majority language in KPK, the province’s education policies prioritize Urdu and English as primary mediums of instruction, positioning Pashto in a peripheral role. Drawing on Fairclough’s three-dimensional CDA framework, this research examines the textual, discursive, and socio-political dimensions of curriculum discourse to reveal how linguistic hierarchies are ideologically constructed and maintained. The analysis highlights a consistent alignment of curriculum objectives with national unity narratives and economic modernization discourses, both of which privilege Urdu and English while framing Pashto as a language of limited socio-economic utility. Findings indicate that curriculum policies reproduce linguistic inequality by limiting Pashto’s presence to cultural subjects or early education, thereby undermining its role in intellectual and academic domains. The study concludes by proposing an inclusive, multilingual policy model that recognizes Pashto as a genuine medium of instruction across educational levels. This research contributes to the broader understanding of language policy, identity politics, and cultural reproduction in multilingual societies.