Private schools unhappy with SNC policy for primary classes

LAHORE: Some elite private schools in Punjab have started expressing concern over the Single National Curriculum (SNC) policy for primary classes, despite being part of the consultation process, primarily because of the medium of instruction and textbook development.

The provincial cabinet has approved implementation of SNC for pre-1 to class-5 in Punjab from the academic year starting August this year. The schools have adopted an indirect approach to express their concern over the SNC and its implementation. Recently, Lahore Grammar School (LGS) wrote a letter to parents explaining that providing a quality education while working “within the constraints of the SNC will be challenging” and asked the parents if they wished they could write to the government and the minister about the SNC. Likewise, what could be termed a professionally directed and produced video clip of a young girl from Beaconhouse making the rounds on social media these days, the class-4 student is expressing concern over converting the subject of social studies in the Urdu language from the English language under the SNC and urges Prime Minister Imran Khan “not to print social studies in Urdu.”

Under the SNC, textbooks for primary classes in the subjects of English, mathematics and general science would be taught in English while textbooks of Urdu, Islamiat, general knowledge and social studies would be taught in Urdu. Another salient feature of the SNC is teaching of the subject of Islamiat (Religious education for minorities) from class-1 onwards. Former Dean of Education at Punjab University, Dr Hafiz Muhammad Iqbal, who did his post-doctoral studies in the field of cognitive/ educational psychology from University of Texas, Austin, USA, terms it the best policy so far in the context of medium of instruction.

According to him a subject taught in a foreign language could not become part of the cognitive structure of young students. He is of the view that most private schools offer English medium education to justify a hefty fee they charge. Mian Rizaur Rahman, President of the Serving Schools and Colleges Association, also appreciates the Single National Curriculum. However, what concerns him is the lack of teacher training to implement the SNC in its true spirit as well as strict policy by the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board (PCTB) to grant NOCs to private publishers for publishing books under the Single National Curriculum.

PCTB Managing Director Dr. Farooq Manzoor said that for public sector schools and government partner schools, where free books are distributed among students, model textbooks developed by the federal government had been adopted and would be ready in April 2021.

He said the model textbooks would also be available for private schools which taught PCTB textbooks. He added textbooks to be developed by private publishers would also be available before the start of the academic year in August as the process had been started. Talking to The News, Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood said under the SNC the government had set standards for textbook development and the perception that only the federal government’s model textbooks or those of provincial textbook boards would be taught in all schools including private schools was wrong. The private publishers were allowed to publish textbooks but strictly in line with the objectives and contents of the Single National Curriculum, he added. He further said he had also advised provincial textbook boards, particularly the PCTB, to facilitate the procedure of granting NOCs to private publishers. The minister said the medium of instruction for teaching textbooks under SNC was being implemented to create an environment for students where they could really learn what they would be taught in schools.

To a question, he said private sector schools were part of the consultation process to prepare the SNC. Shafqat Mahmood said that the federal government had even allowed the provincial and area governments to teach regional languages as a subject if they wanted to. Answering a question, Shafqat Mahmood said the new academic year would begin from August this year and he wished for a new academic year starting August every year to ensure uniformity. To another question, he said it was also being contemplated to shorten the duration of annual summer vacation this year so that to make up for academic losses students had to suffer because of Covid-19-related prolonged closure of educational institutions twice.