Suggestions sought on new education policy

Provinces told to send in their recommendations next month

ISLAMABAD:

As the government prepares a new education policy for the country per its planned uniform education system, the federal education ministry on Friday sought suggestions from all the provinces.

In this regard, the Federal Education Ministry Additional Secretary Mohiuddin Wani has sent letters to all provinces, vice-chancellors, educationists and other authorities associated with education for their input. The letter, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, said that in the ongoing novel coronavirus (Covid19) emergency, the education ministry at the federal level worked closely with the provincial and area governments to ensure a coordinated national response for young people of Pakistan.

The education ministry, Wani said, was reaching out to all key stakeholders to develop a Pakistan Education Policy 2021, which would ensure equitable opportunities for all children across the country which does not restrict their development and employability. It subsequently sought input and feedback on the key aspects of policy convergence, the suggested chapters and topics to cover in the policy document such as standardizing educational stages and ages from ECE – tertiary education, inclusive education, accelerated learning and adult literacy, technical and vocational education in schools, skills training, standardizing transitions from school to college and university, standardizing data regimes for reporting on national and international education indicators and international collaboration The ministry asked all provinces to send their proposals in January 2021.

Initial draft of the new education policy will be finalized by the first week of February 2021. Stakeholders will be re-consulted on the proposed policy between February and March before final approval by March 23