ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood on Monday said all-out efforts were being made to complete the national curriculum in March next year for introducing a uniform education system in the country.

Addressing a press conference after chairing a meeting of the National Curriculum Council (NCC), the minister said he was hopeful about the preparation and implementation of the uniform national curriculum from next year.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the federal, provincial governments, religious seminaries and schools.

The minister said some of the participants of the meeting proposed to extend the deadline but the government was making efforts to launch the new curriculum from the next year. He said the NCC wanted to prepare the uniform curriculum in March and get it implemented in April.

It was the second meeting of the NCC this year. The council had been tasked to share the updated curriculum draft with the provinces by Nov 30.

Shafqat Mahmood expresses hope uniform curriculum will be implemented across country next year

However, now it has been directed to complete the task in December. It seems difficult for the NCC to launch the new curriculum in April. But the minister said efforts were being made to complete the task within the deadline.

He said there were different education systems in the county such as private schools, upscale private schools, public sector schools and religious seminaries.

He said in the new curriculum such gaps would be plugged and a uniform education system would be introduced in phases. He said a committee of experts would decide in which classes the subject of Islamiyat should be taught.

He said it was proposed that a core syllabus should be introduced in all educational systems.

Talking about provinces, he said the NCC had representation of provinces and provincial authorities would move forward with the backing of the federal government to introduce the new curriculum, adding consensus was being developed on it. He said it was his wish that the education minister of Sindh should also participate in the meetings on curriculum and syllabus.

Prime Minister Imran Khan had ordered the establishment of the NCC in Nov 2018 and its first meeting was held in Jan this year.

The minister said various committees had been given tasks to help the NCC finalise the new curriculum.

A few days ago, the education ministry informed the National Assembly that several committees had been working in line with the approved roadmap given by the federal minister to help the NCC prepare a national curriculum.

The house on Sept 19 was told that an analysis of Pakistan learners’ standards with those of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and UK were being incorporated in the draft.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2019