Milestone as core curriculum signed off by provinces

Islamabad: The National Curriculum Council Secretariat on Thursday achieved a historic milestone as for the first time in the country's history, a core curriculum from grades 1-12 and early years has been signed off by subject experts from all provinces.

Now, standards for grades 9-12 will go through provincial review and formal legal approval before being notified at their respective provincial levels as required by the 18th Amendment of the Constitution. Standards for grades 1-8 and early years are already in the implementation phase at different levels in provinces. The development came during the NCC's periodic meeting at its Secretariat with Minister of Federal Education and Professional Training Rana Tanveer Hussain in the chair. The other participants included federal education secretary Waseem Ajmal Chaudhary and curriculum department directors from Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan.

Federal information minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, parliamentary secretary for education Zeb Jaffar, chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology Dr. Qibla Ayaz, provincial education ministers, senior parliamentarians, religious scholars, social activists, and education experts were also in attendance.

The meeting was called to discuss the recent agreement of provincial experts on National Curriculum standards for grades 9-12, marking a monumental milestone for Pakistan. Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain lauded the National Curriculum Council for upholding the cause of quality education for all children of the nation by championing international standards in curriculum reforms.

He noted the integration of the study of the Constitution of Pakistan and coding in the curriculum, anticipating that this would not only inform students of their rights and responsibilities but also equip them with the technological skills required in today's fast-paced world.

He said the development of the National Curriculum of Pakistan was a nationwide collaborative process, with each province actively involved and their feedback gathered and incorporated through a comprehensive process. The minister commended Director of the NCC Secretariat Dr. Mariam Chughtai and her team for their hard work in achieving the milestone. Council members deliberated on various aspects of the standards in the National Curriculum and offered suggestions. They also held an extensive discussion on bringing the curriculum to the implementation stage and propelling this nationwide project to new heights.

After a constructive discussion, all attending members of the NC Council agreed that for better inter-provincial coordination on implementation matters, sub-committees under the NC Council should be set up, focusing on quality textbooks, teachers, and assessment reforms. The council also resolved that the signed-off documents of the National Curriculum of Pakistan would be shared with provinces for their review and approval as per their provincial laws and legal procedures. In the event, provincial curriculum departmental heads and provincial and area focal persons for curriculum reforms were presented with shields as a token of appreciation for their contribution towards the national cause of quality education for all.