PESHAWAR, June 14: Academicians from all over the country have recommended a unified education system and single language as the medium of instruction for all to remove class disparity.

The system should be the same so that every one could get equal education opportunity, participants said here on Wednesday at the concluding session of a three-day national workshop on “Education system and 21st century”, organised by the Frontier Education Foundation (FEF).

The educationists in their recommendations said that there should be the same syllabus for everyone and there should be nothing against any religion in textbooks. Creative writing and free thinking should be introduced at the primary level.

We should shun class-based system of education and provide education to all, an educationist from the NWFP said.

Dr Arif Ali Zaidi of the Agha Khan University, Karachi, reading out recommendations of his group regarding examination system said that composite examination system should be brought back and the months of March and April were suitable for exams. The role of the Education Testing and Evaluation Authority should be extended to that of conducting analysis of examination, training of examiners who evaluate the question papers. The passing marks should be 40 per cent.

Dr Shahida Sajjad from University of Karachi and her group gave recommendations regarding teacher’s training. They recommended pre-service and in-service training of teachers. Teacher training should be made mandatory, a provincial academy for training of trainers and teachers should be established.

There should be four cadres of teachers, teacher trainers, education administrators, education planners, she said.

Prof Qamar Shahid of Jaam Shoro University and his group recommended that for creating a conducive learning environment teacher and student both should be active, have freedom of constructive knowledge. Curriculum should encourage conceptual understanding of students and not just check the memory of the students, he proposed.

The conducive learning environment should promote critical thinking and teachers should develop such teaching strategies where students critically analysed things, Prof Shahid said.

Mirza Kashif Ali president of All Private School Owners Association, Punjab, was of the view that the government should exempt private schools from taxes to encourage private sector.

The recommendations would be forwarded to the government for implementation.