Pakistan needs diverse education system, reforms, say experts during SDPI webinar

ISLAMABAD, Jan 25 (SABAH): Pakistan being a heterogeneous society needs a diverse education system backed by reforms to cater changing societal requirements, said experts from education sector while sharing their views at the webinar ‘Adopting Single National Curriculum: challenges and opportunities for Pakistan’ organized by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI).

Deputy Director, National Curriculum Council (NCC), Sohail Bin Aziz, emphasized that the curriculum should not be taken as just textbook reform but a much greater reform agenda having all-stakeholders’ feedback. This aims at uplifting all sectors of education. He said the NCC has signed MoUs with almost 36 universities which will be holding seminars and discussions on Single National Curriculum for a greater and holistic input.

In-charge, Department of Educational Policy Planning Studies and Leadership EPPSL, AIOU, Dr. Afshan Huma, was of view that the curriculum planning, curriculum review, and curriculum change start with basic needs’ assessment of the society, and it should be aimed at some requirements to fulfill. The primary curriculum deals with child development, therefore, we need to understand local, national, and global trends, she added.

Dr. Shahzad Ali Khan, Vice Chancellor, Health Service Academy (HSA), said that Pakistan needs a diverse system of education as the SNC cannot meet the purpose of catering to a diverse society. Dr. Nargis Abbas, Associate Professor, University of Sargodha, opined that the education system needs reforms both at policy and administrative level and at pedagogy and teachers’ training level. Hence, the teachers who are the real implementers of any reforms or plan are the most important part of the education system. The single national curriculum lacks guidelines for the teachers. She said in the EU countries, the education system is centralized but all the countries in the union impart education in their own native languages.

Shahid Minhas, Head CLD, SDPI, earlier opined that the introduction of SNC in Pakistan by the incumbent government is of utmost importance to analyze its vitality and relevance to the present times needs.