Centre, provinces agree on single national curriculum

Islamabad : Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood on Wednesday advocated a single national curriculum saying it will help eliminate classification in the education system.

During the third meeting of the National Curriculum Council here, the minister also denied confusion about the mode of language for that curriculum and said students would learn in the language they're comfortable with.

The participants included the provincial education ministers and secretaries, representatives of the federal government educational institutions, Army Public School, Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Navy, private schools, Ittehad Tanzeemul Madaris Pakistan and religious minorities, and educationists.

They gave suggestions for the content of textbooks.

Most of them urged the government to come up with a model textbook for provinces and other stakeholders.

The participants said the development of a single national curriculum was the need of the hour.

The minister thanked them for suggestions and said the government would benefit from them to further the cause of education.

He said the material and key points of the single national curriculum would be the same, while English would be taught as a language.

"The initiative of the single national curriculum is close to our hearts. It'll be helpful in eliminating classification in the education system," he said.

The minister said provinces could introduce additional material but the students shouldn't be overburdened.

He said the basic aim of the uniform education system was the elimination of the injustices in getting education and the classification distance in the field of knowledge and education.

The minister said Shah Abdul Lateef Bhittai should not be considered as the hero of Sindh only but he's a hero of the entire nation and that was only possible through uniform education system.

He said workshops were held in four provinces on the single national curriculum, while a four-day workshop was organised at national level in which the draft syllabus was prepared unanimously.

The minister said the draft had been sent to all members of the National Curriculum Council for consideration.