Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood Friday said new uniform curriculum drafted by the PTI-led government will be implemented in schools across Pakistan from April 2021.

Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad regarding the two-year performance of his ministry, the education minister said the uniform curriculum would be implemented from grade one to five.

“A uniform curriculum could not be introduced in the 72-year history of Pakistan,” he said. “Now it has been developed after consultation with all schools of thought. All madrassas are also being registered whereas work is also underway on the curriculum from grade sixth to eighth.”

Talking about the challenges faced by the educational institutes because of the coronavirus pandemic, the education minister said the institutes would re-open from September 15 if conditions improve.

“The final decision to reopen educational institutes across the country from September 15 will be taken in a follow-up meeting on September 7.”

Shafqat said he asked the health ministry to prepare standard operating procedures (SOPs) for educational institutes to prevent spread of coronavirus.

“Matric and FA students had been promoted according to a formula,” minster Mahmood said. “People were concerned about the Cambridge result. Cambridge was appraised of the situation which they acknowledged.”

Mehmood added that due to the outbreak of Covid-19, a tele-school was launched on April 7, but the students were facing difficulties because of the internet. “Now internet will be provided all over the country,” he said.

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The education minister further added that a skill development programme had also been launched under which it is planned to impart skills to about 170,000 children.

“Under the Ehsaas Programme, 50,000 students and 1,000 nurses would be given scholarships. About 1,000 scholarships had been given for art and cultural education.” 

The minister said the medium of instruction for the new uniform curriculum unveiled by the federal government recently will be the national language of Urdu.

He added that the Urdu will be the main medium of instruction for the new curriculum which will be implemented from class one to five in the next educational year.

However, Mahmood clarified that the provinces will have the choice to use their major languages along with Urdu to instruct children, adding that this was in line with the provisions in the Constitution.