Imran reiterates resolve to end ‘education apartheid’

Directs minister to formulate a joint strategy for future of education in Covid-19 scenario

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has said expressed resolve to eliminate “education apartheid” in the country's education system while directing the relevant authorities to formulate and implement a uniform curriculum across the country.

“Bringing an end to education apartheid in the country's education system is the top priority of the present government,” PM Imran said on Thursday while chairing a review meeting on reform in education system and the government's agenda on education in the context of coronavirus pandemic.

Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood, Information Minister Shibli Faraz, Special Assistant to the PM for information Lt Gen (retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa, Punjab Minister for Higher Education Yasir Humayun and Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Tariq Banuri attended the moot.

According to an official statement, the premier ordered the concerned authorities to intensify efforts to bring madrassas into the mainstream and to equip the children studying in the madrassas with modern sciences while implementation the strategy earlier agreed with the religious institutions.

“Equipping the youth with modern sciences and preparing them to face the challenges of the present and future is the need of the hour and our first priority,” Imran Khan was quoted as saying.

The PM was given a detailed briefing on progress made so far in introducing a uniform curriculum in the country, reforms in madrassas, promotion of ‘skilled Pakistan' and reforms in higher education.

The premier was informed that a unified curriculum has been formulated for the first to fifth classes which will be implemented in April 2021. The government is consulting with relevant stakeholders to formulate a syllabus for grades six to eight, the premier was told.

The meeting noted that the coronavirus pandemic has left the academic activities in a limbo as the government has closed all the educational institutions after the outbreak. Doubts still loom large on the future of academic activities and over an expected resumption by mid-July.

The prime minister directed authorities to propose out-of-the-box solutions to address the challenges facing the education sector in the wake of the pandemic so that the mission of promoting quality education and easy access can be taken forward.

He directed the federal minister for education to formulate a joint strategy for the future of the education and teaching process in consultation with all provincial education ministers.

“A strategy should be formulated to address the financial difficulties of the educational institutions and the concerns regarding the fees of the parents,” he said.

While giving briefing to the PM on various initiatives, including tele-schooling which was started to continue teaching process despite closure of educational institutions, officials said an estimated 7 to 8 million students are benefiting from the facility.

An e-learning portal is also being launched, he was told, and the services of Radio Pakistan will be sought for educating the students living in remote areas of the country.

Imran Khan directed authorities that distance education and easy access to the teaching process from various sources should be ensured, adding that all available resources should be utilized in this regard.

The officials also gave a detailed briefing on various measures to improve the education system in the country with the assistance of international organizations.

Talking about the issue of sub-campuses of federal universities in different provinces, Imran said a detailed action plan be formulated so that quality of education is maintained as well as it can be ensured that the students do not face any hindrance at the sub-campuses.

“Due to the coronavirus situation, the education sector is facing extraordinary challenges. Every effort should be made to ensure that the teaching process is not affected in any way,” he added.