PM gives go-ahead to revolutionise education system

ISLAMABAD: The Prime Minister Imran Khan, has given go-ahead to a comprehensive plan to overhaul the country’s education system that includes introduction of a uniform curriculum, launching literacy emergency, enrolling out of school children, extending Quran Scheme to all provinces, making skill development for all etc.

Official sources said in a recent cabinet meeting, the prime minister asked for immediately setting up of the National Curriculum Council (NCC), which will formulate uniform curriculum for all. The council is likely to be notified in the next week. The prime minister, it is said, was really excited with the Quran Scheme introduced a few years ago and insisted that it should be implemented more effectively in all public and private schools throughout the country.

Imran Khan directed that the Quran Scheme, which was introduced by the Centre and KP a few years ago, should also be implemented in Punjab and Balochistan--the provinces ruled by the PTI and allies.The Sindh government, it is said, will also be persuaded to introduce the Quran Scheme in their educational institutions. Under the Quran Scheme, the Holy Quran is taught in Arabic (Naazra) to Muslim students of class I to V and with simple translation for classes VI to XII. Although the scheme was conceptualised by the last PML-N government at the Centre, it is the PTI government in KP, which decided to introduce it first.

The sources said the prime minister asked for provision of equity in the education system by creating single education system through single curriculum so the people can compete on the same level of education. These sources said the prime minister also urged taking all possible measures to attain the objective of enrolling each and every out of school child. It was also decided to launch a literacy emergency campaign. The PM, it is said, also directed to improve the quality of education for which the importance of merit based appointment of teachers was underlined.

It was pointed out that we have a number of educated youth but with low standards of education. The provision of quality education and skill development for all is also the emphasis of the premier. Technical and vocational training to the country’s youth in different demand driven sectors was considered a must to get jobs for the Pakistani youth across the globe.

Following the 18th Amendment, education is a provincial subject, but the federal government is trying to take all the provinces into confidence to introduce uniform education system. With the PTI ruling, Punjab, KP, Balochistan and the Centre, the only challenge left is the PPP-led Sindh.