Uniform National Curriculum and Our Educational System

In terms of education, every government of Pakistan misleads the masses. History of Pakistan testifies that the rulers of the country have never allowed uniform system of education to be practiced throughout the country. Education has mostly remained neglected in our country.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) in its manifesto stated that the party will introduce a new uniform curriculum for all the students across Pakistan because every child has equal rights and no discrimination should occur.

Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood, under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, is currently working on a uniform curriculum across the country.

Today (Friday), the federal government has claimed that first phase of implementation of single national curriculum in country has been completed, however, it will take another year for its implementation.

Few days ago, Shafqat Mahmood said that new uniform national curriculum from grade 1 to 6 would be implemented by April 2021 with the efforts of all domestic stakeholders.

In this regard, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry also claimed that the year 2021 would witness the implementation of uniform syllabus policy across the country till matriculation.

Let’s take an in-depth review of the different aspects of the decision taken by the PTI government.

Why Uniform Curriculum?

There are several systems of education operating in the country at the same time including, public, private, technical and religious institutions. The curriculums of these systems are also different.

All the private schools in the country promote distinct cultures and different habits and manners, through which students entering into society with their divergent outlooks and mindsets becomes the source of disunity in the country. Pakistan is increasingly becoming a split-society with each passing day.

Normally, the basic difference occurs in language. The government curriculum doesn’t focus on English, whereas, the private school children can speak English better.

Some other problems that occur in society due to different curriculum are sectarianism, political and social dichotomy, the widening gap between the poor and the rich, and lack of national consensus over various socio-political and economic issues in the country.

The best way to address these problems is to introduce uniform national curriculum across the country.

Through uniform education system, it will guarantee that the country is moving in the same direction as a nation. This will foster the same set of beliefs to get the people into a single entity.

Out-Of-School Children

According to United Nations International Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF), Pakistan has the world’s second-highest number of out-of-school children with an estimated 22.8 million children aged 5-16 not attending school, representing 44 percent of the total population in this age group.

In the age group of 5-9, 5 million children are not enrolled in schools and 11.4 million adolescents between the ages of 10-14 not receiving formal education. 

In Sindh, 52 percent of the children, 58 percent of them girls, do not go to school, while in Balochistan, 78 percent of girls are out of school.

Whether the government introduces uniform syllabus or system, it will not affect such kind of children. That is why UNICEF urges the Government of Pakistan to pay attention to drop out children and their parents should be financially supported so that they provide education to their children.

Much-needed Curriculum Reform

The curriculums followed by most schools do not take into account the varying capabilities and learning curves of individual children. 

Especially, if we talk about the curriculum of government schools, it isn’t updated since the syllabus was introduced. Things like floppy disks, windows 98 are still being taught in the government schools, while the world has reach moon.

With the update in the curriculum, computational creativity, problem-solving skills, and digital capabilities should also be taught at the elementary level.

With the uniform curriculum strategy, the government should also focus on reforms in the curriculum as well.