Shafqat warns of action against schools not implementing SNC

PM will officially launch 1st phase of single national curriculum for grades 1 to 5 tomorrow, says education minister

Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood announced on Sunday that Single National Curriculum (SNC) will be implemented across the country from tomorrow in a bid to end disparity in education system of the country.

Prime Minister Imran Khan will officially launch the first phase of the SNC for the students of grades 1 to 5 tomorrow (Monday),” said the minister while addressing a press conference in Islamabad.

Shafqat clarified that all private and public schools will be bound to teach the core subjects which are part of the SNC.

However, he added that private schools have not been barred from teaching additional subjects.

“Action will also be taken against those schools not implementing national curriculum,” he warned.

He said separate curriculums have been prepared for the minorities living in the country to promote religious harmony.

The uniform curriculum has been developed by National Curriculum Council, Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training in consultation and collaboration with education departments of all federating units of the country.

The SCN is being developed and released in three phases. In first phase, the plan for grades pre-1 to 5 (academic year 2021-22) will be implemented, whereas in second and third phases, the grades 6 to 8 (2022-23) and grades 9 to 12 (2023-24) will follow the new curriculum, respectively.

The development of SNC is driven by key considerations such as teachings of the Holy Quran and Seerat-e-Nabwi, Pakistan’s constitutional framework, national policies with their aspirations and standards, alignment with Sustainable Development Goals, the Quaid and Iqbal’s vision, a focus on values, respect for diversity in cultures and religions, and the development of 21st century skills including analytical, critical, and creative thinking.

The process for developing the SNC entailed both a comparative review with curricula from other countries and consensus building within Pakistan following a consultative process.

As a first step, multiple comparative studies were conducted to align an SNC draft with international standards. These standards were taken from curricula followed in Singapore, United Kingdom, Malaysia and Indonesia, and findings incorporated in the SNC draft.

The model textbooks based on the SNC besides the teacher training modules have also been developed for grades pre-1 to 5. These have been shared with all federating units to support timely implementation of the SNC on the ground.