ISLAMABAD: A primary school curriculum that is part of the government’s efforts to establish a uniform education system will be finalised in March, Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood said on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference at the Press Information Department, Mr Mehmood said a National Curriculum Council has been formed to prepare a primary education curriculum.

He said the cabinet also approved his ministry’s plan for uniform education and mainstreaming seminaries during its meeting on Tuesday.

Cabinet approves education ministry’s Rs1.9bn plan to set up regional centres, directorate general of religious education

Mr Mehmood said all seminaries will be affiliated with the ministry and 12 regional centres will be set up across the country to facilitate them. A directorate general of religious education will also be established.

In its last meeting, the cabinet approved a Rs1.9 billion project for the federal education ministry to set up a directorate general of religious education, regional centres and so on.

Mr Mehmood said on Wednesday that unaffiliated seminaries will not be allowed to operate. He said an agreement has been made with the Ittehad Tanzeemat-i-Madaris – an umbrella organisation of religious boards – on the mainstreaming of seminaries.

Mr Mehmood said that most seminaries are operating under the umbrella of the Ittehad Tanzeemat-i-Madaris, but there are a number of seminaries that have no link to the organisation and the government is also trying to take them on board as, after a certain time, only registered seminaries will be allowed to operate.

He said religious scholars have agreed that students will sit board examinations and will be issued matriculation and intermediate certificates by the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education. Seminary students will be taught the contemporary compulsory syllabus along with their religious studies, he added.

He said seminaries have asked for around for years to make a comprehensive plan to reform their syllabus through their curriculum committees.

Going into detail about the agreement with religious scholars, he said registered seminaries will be allowed to admit foreign students and the education ministry will help them secure visas for them.

Seminaries will also open accounts in scheduled banks, he said, and the ministry will write to the State Bank to open accounts for registered seminaries. The ministry will also direct all government departments to accept seminaries’ registration according to the Societies Act until a new system is implemented.

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2019