Shehzad Roy, Mariam Chughtai meet education minister

Islamabad:In a landmark meeting today, Shehzad Roy, the renowned singer and President of Zindagi Trust, along with Mariam Chughtai, Director of National Curriculum Council (NCC), conferred with Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training, Mr. Madad Ali Sindhi. The Federal Minister lauded Shehzad Roy's exceptional efforts in advancing education reform, particularly for integrating Child Protection into Sindh's curriculum.

Madad Ali Sindhi commended Roy for his significant role in the approval of a new "Teacher Performance Evaluation" format for Government Teachers in Sindh, emphasizing the broader impact recognized at the national level with the passing of a law criminalizing corporal punishment. Roy, founder of Zindagi Trust, outlined the organization's mission to enhance accessibility to education across Pakistan, presenting a proposal to introduce special elective courses in public schools.

The proposal, endorsed by the Minister, outlines plans for the development and implementation of elective courses focused on Chess, Liberal Arts, and music, targeting students from grade 3 to 10. Shehzad Roy highlighted the cognitive benefits of chess and liberal arts, emphasizing their role in fostering mental capabilities. Under the Minister's directive, NCC and Zindagi Trust will collaborate on crafting a curriculum for Chess and Musical instruments. Minister Sindhi stressed the importance of formalizing extracurricular activities, instructing the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) to organize sports events, debates, and other activities in schools and colleges regularly.

Shehzad Roy underscored Zindagi Trust's commitment to art education, recounting the success of their Art Program initiated in 2015. Furthermore, he elaborated on the achievements of Zindagi Trust's Chess Program, highlighting its impact on students' critical thinking and strategic abilities. In response, Minister Madad Ali Sindhi expressed his admiration for Zindagi Trust's initiatives and announced the official launch of the proposed elective courses in December. He urged NCC to expedite the development of the curriculum for swift implementation by FDE this year. The Minister reiterated his dedication to revolutionizing the public education sector, envisioning a foundation for future governments to build a brighter future for Pakistan's generations to come.