PM gives go-ahead to revolutionise education system

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has given go-ahead to a comprehensive plan to overhaul country’s education system that include 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 that in a recent cabinet meeting, the prime minister has also asked for the immediate setting up of the National Curriculum Council (NCC), which will have the task of formulating 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 back 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 back, should also be implemented in Punjab and Balochistan—the provinces ruled by the PTI. The Sindh government, it is said, will also be persuaded to introduce 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 simply translation to class VI to XII. Although the scheme was conceptualised by the last PML-N government at the Centre, it was the PTI government in KP, which decided to introduce it first. The sources said that the prime minister asked for provision of equity in the education system by creating single education system through single curriculum so that people can compete on the same level of education.

These sources said that the prime minister urged for all possible measures to attain the objective of getting enrolled each and every out of school child. It was also decided to launch 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 standard of education. Provision of quality education as well as skill development for all was 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 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.