Peaceful coexistence: Minister calls for promoting pluralism in curriculum

Stresses importance of promoting culture of peace, tolerance

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal said the country needed an educational curriculum that promoted peace, coexistence and pluralism in society.

“Today, curriculum reform is the most important initiative for the future of our country. It is a collective enterprise for all the provinces and the federal government, along with other stakeholders, who wish to complete the task within the next two years,” he said during a consultative workshop on curriculum held at the Planning Commission.

The workshop was organised by the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

The minister said that the existing education system and curriculum was obsolete as it was based on rote learning.

“We need to inculcate innovation, creativity, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking in students. These are the hallmarks of curriculum to be compatible with the demands of the modern age,” he said. Iqbal further added that they had to bring education system at par with global standards by learning from global best practices and developing indigenous resources.

“Our present system ignores personality grooming and creating civic sense among the students,” he said.

Federal Education and Professional Training State Minister Balighur Rehman stated that provinces were also being taken on board about the reforms process.

“It is important to set a minimum standard of education and teaching, because we don’t want any type of irregularity among the provinces as far as education is concerned,” he said. Rehman said that for the purpose they had created a platform, the “Interprovincial Education Ministers’ Conference (IPEMC)”.

“We have taken every province on board except Sindh, which is still an observer to the IPEMC but actively participates in the forum through its nominated members,” he added.

The minister claimed that they were also working on improving the examination and testing system.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 11^th, 2015.