ICT gets new syllabus after 17 years
Awareness campaign through state media to be launched. DESIGN: EXPRESS
The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training has notified the new National Curriculum of Pakistan for the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and the institutions under the federal ministries.
The approval of the new syllabus comes 17 years after the previous curriculum was notified in 2006. A notification in that regard has been issued by the ministry.
The curricula for grades IX and XI will be introduced at the beginning of 2024 while the curricula for grades X and XII will be implemented in the following year, according to the announcement made by Sohail Bin Aziz, Assistant Educational Adviser of the National Curriculum Council (NCC). All provinces have been notified of the development.
Sources said experts from the provinces provided their input in the development of the new curriculum. The new curriculum comprises Urdu, English, Pakistan Studies, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Computer Science, Islamic Studies, and Entrepreneurship subjects. Policy talks were also held in the provinces to harmonise the curriculum.
“The task of curriculum development for grades IX to XII was carried out in an inclusive manner.
Relevant stakeholders were taken on board with all the steps of curriculum development,” the notification said. “An intensive consultation exercise was carried out with the stakeholders including policymakers, academics, practitioners, parents, and students from across Pakistan,” it added.
The NCC also invited the public to voice their opinions via an online forum. The NCC Secretariat in Islamabad hosted a final curriculum session following regional curriculum workshops in each province.
For this purpose, not only policy dialogues were conducted across Pakistan but also a number of curriculum workshops were held to take feedback from the concerned. Moreover, all concerned were also invited to share their feedback via an online portal. After regional curriculum workshops in each province, a final curriculum workshop was held at the NCC Secretariat Islamabad where nominated experts from all the provinces, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, and Gilgit Baltistan signed off the curriculum for nine subjects: Urdu, English, Islamic Studies, Pakistan Studies, Math, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Computer Science.
Meanwhile, to ensure the implementation of the curriculum, several meetings of the stakeholders were convened. However, after detailed deliberations, the curriculum has been notified for Islamabad Capital Territory and the institutions under the Federal Ministries.
With additional input from the APP
Published in The Express Tribune, June 16th, 2023.