Devolution woes: Senators question the existence of NCC

Several lawmakers believe it goes against spirit of 18th Amendment

ISLAMABAD: Senators have begun heaping scorn at the formation of the National Curriculum Council (NCC), placing a huge question mark over its future.

The NCC was formed in October 2014 after detailed deliberations with provincial education ministers. The council works as a centralised body at the federal level to coordinate with the provinces about the formation of a curriculum. It also helps in implementing the curriculum in the provinces.

However, questions have been raised about the council’s role and function. Many senators believe that it goes against the 18th Amendment which has ensured the devolution of powers.

Last week, Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani questioned the existence of the curriculum council during a seminar marking the upper house’s 44th founding day. He said “having a national curriculum board after the 18th amendment is a violation of the Constitution, because determining the curriculum is a provincial matter after the devolution of powers.”

Rabbani labelled the body as an ‘attempt by the Centre to ensure that health and education come under its control’.

The issue created quite a ruckus in a meeting of the Senate’s Functional Committee on Devolution held last week.

During the meeting PPP Senator Taj Haider, MQM Senator Tahir Hussain Mashhadi contested the claims of Minister for Federal Education and Professional Trainings Balighur Rehman.

Mashhadi asked, “Is it not a violation of the Constitution if the federal government constituted such a body?”

“Why did the federal government  go ahead with such plans when provinces have the prerogative to do so?”

Taj Haider also feared that the move was an encroachment on the rights of the provinces. “It seems the provinces are being robbed of their right to do what they have been bestowed through the process of devolution, established with consensus,” he added.

Rehman in detail explained the purpose behind the function of the body in an attempt to clear the confusion that was clouding the issue. “Federal government does not intend to encroach upon the rights of the provinces.” Rehman said the basic purpose behind the NNC was to establish a body that ensures the provinces carry a curriculum with minimum standards. He added “the NCC has a mediatory and supervisory role for coordination.”

He stated that if a province wants to include their local heroes, folklores in the curriculum then it would follow the standards agreed upon in the NCC. “We do not want very much disparity among provinces because when a student graduates he should be at par with other provinces,” he argued.

The senators seemed least interested in his defence of the NCC and suggested the body should have been formed after getting a nod from the Council of Common Interests.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14^th, 2016.