LAHORE, Aug 13: State Minister for Education Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli has said that revised curricula is being analysed by the provinces, and they will submit the same to federal government during this month.

She stated this while addressing a seminar on “Pakistan Education System: The Liberal Perspective” organised by the Future Youth Group in collaboration with the Liberal Forum Pakistan, and The Friedrich Naumann Stiftung here.

The minister said that the federal government had deleted wrong narrations, perspectives and facts from curricula of 10 major subjects and provided it to the provinces, and they would submit the same to the centre after thorough review and analysis.

The curricula would be a guideline for the provinces, who would formulate the syllabus, she said, adding that biography of author would be published at the end page of every text book.

Tahirkheli said that matric examination of academic session starting in September 2007 would be conducted as composite. Teachers were also being trained on the new curricula and to prepare such question papers, and provinces had been designated one board each to conduct examinations in their respective province, she maintained.

She said that for the first time the present government conducted an education census at a cost of Rs185 million, in which information and data about students was collected in a scientific manner, adding that this would give the exact and clear picture of Pakistan’s education system.

The minister said that review of National Education Policy was also underway, and its committee comprising teachers, educationists, religious scholars and independent consultants, would finalise this process within a couple of months.

The new policy would ensure uniformity in the country’s education system and it would be in conformity with present day requirements, she observed.

Anina Zeb Tahirkheli said that the government was spending 2.7 per cent of the GDP on education sector and “we want it to be at least four per cent of GDP”.

“The government is giving equal attention to primary, secondary and higher education, besides reforming this vital sector to make the education accessible to all and evovle such an education system that was enlightened, moderate, innovative, dedicated, disciplined and organised,” she added.

She said that President’s Education Reforms Programme worth Rs60 billion was started in 2001 and Rs7 billion had so far been utilised under this programme to provide missing facilities in the educational institutions.

The National Vocational and Technical Education Commission had also been formed and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz tasked this commission to provide technical training to around one million individuals in one go, she said.

Later, talking to journalists, she said that students politics was banned as it was destroying their future, and they could do politics after completion of their studies. She also suggested the establishment of academies for political training.

FYG Chairman Abbas Sarwar Qureshi, Advocate Asif Khan, Syed Muhammad Habib Irfani, Gulmina Bilal and an expert from The Philippines addressed the seminar.

Besides, a large number of youth, representatives from Far East Asian countries also participated in the event.—APP