Single National Curriculum: Non-Muslim students to study own religious subjects: minister

ISLAMABAD: The non-Muslim minority students would be taught their own religious values instead of Islamic studies, said Federal Minister for Education and Vocational Training Shafqat Mahmood.

The minister stated this during a meeting with British High Commissioner Christian Turner, while holding talks on the Single National Curriculum (SNC) and other issues.

Mahmood said separate subject for the Christian, Hindu, Sikh, and Kailash communities had been prepared, in consultation with the leaders and scholars of those religions and would be taught to them.

Discussing the uniform curriculum, the federal minister said English, Mathematics, and Science would be taught in English; Urdu and Islamic Studies in Urdu till the fifth grade; Social Studies and General Knowledge in Urdu while English terms will also be included in these subjects.

However, from the sixth to the eighth grade, the English components will be gradually increased.

After 8th, students can choose international or national qualification of their choice.

Mehmood said private publishers have been allowed to publish books and provinces and private educational institutions can teach any book.

However, the Federal Ministry of Education has ensured two things in this regard. First is that private publishers’ books should be consistent with the ‘uniform curriculum,’ and the second is that no offensive or hateful material should be included in the book.

He further said everyone has the right to comment on a uniform curriculum, so it was first posted on the website of the Ministry of Education.

He said many observers criticised the same syllabus without reading it and without studying its comprehensiveness and usefulness.

The federal minister said since it is rare to get a full consensus in a democracy, there will be some people who continue to criticise this high-purpose move for their own reasons or interests.

Talking about uniform curriculum till VIII, the federal minister for education further said the provinces and private educational institutes have been allowed to teach additional materials.

Elite private schools are free to give music and dance classes as well as madrassas can teach additional materials.

Discussing the registration of madrassas, Mehmood said registration of madrassas is in progress across the country and 16 offices were set up under the Directorate General of Religious Education, a subsidiary of the Federal Ministry of Education and so far 2,000 madrassas have been registered.

Some madrassas had demanded the formation of new education boards, and five new boards have also been formed, he added.

The federal minister said the function of madrassas was to impart education but their affairs were earlier looked after by the Home Ministry.

We have brought them under the Federal Ministry of Education and Vocational Training and while the application of a uniform curriculum for madrassa students has opened the door to the best careers, but would also ensuring that no provocative or hateful literature is taught in any madrassa, and no political leader can use madrassa students for their political purposes.

The minister also discussed the UK’s support for education in Pakistan with the British high commissioner.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021