"An outdated syllabus is being taught at our schools in this modern world and over the years no one has paid any heed to it," Senior minister for education Nisar Khuhro. DESIGN : ANAM HALEEM
KARACHI: A drive against private schools not teaching the Sindhi language will start after Eidul Azha, announced senior minister for education Nisar Khuhro in a statement issued on Monday.
"We will cancel the registration of those schools imposing penalty on them if they are not teaching Sindh language," he said. The minister announced the drive when the Sindh government made the decision to revamp the primary school syllabus from new academic year starting from March 2014.
A committee comprising 12 members will look over the entire process of revamping the existing education system. The committee will be headed by Aga Khan University's Institute of Educational Development director Professor Muhammad Memon.
Updating syllabus
"An outdated syllabus is being taught at our schools in this modern world and over the years no one has paid any heed to it," commented Khuhro. "After the committee's recommendation, we will introduce new syllabus at schools."
Khuhro said the advisory committee will review the curriculum and identify missing links, gaps and concepts for inclusion. The committee will also oversee the preparation of textbooks as per reviewed and reformed curriculum, he said. Along with proposing changes in the curriculum, the committee will further stipulate duplication, overlapping, repetition, bias and other negative elements that affects the learning, growth and worldview of the students.
After all the compilation and recommendations, the new curriculum for class one to class five will be provided for the next academic year in March, he said. The recommendations for the reforms to the curriculum, as well as, the textbooks will be handed in before the next academic session, after which new curriculum from class one to five will be followed by the public schools from the start of the next academic year in March.
Omitting negative text
Khuhro assured that the committee will promote fundamental human rights and democracy in the curriculum.
"The reforms will help eliminate discrimination on the basis of gender, ethnicity and religion that breed intolerance, extremism and violence by moulding our children's minds since the early age," Khuhro explained.
The minister further promised that a Montessori school system, which is at par with private schools, will also be introduced. He added that the Montessori system will enroll children at the age of three years.
Committee members
The committee has renowned educationists including, curriculum bureau director Abdul Majeed Bhurt, former vice-chancellor of Shah Abdul latif University, Khairpur, Dr Nilofer Shaikh, Karachi University's sociology professor Dr Fateh Muhammad Burfat, Professor Parveen Muhshi of University of Sindh's psychological testing and guidance department, St Joseph's College's principal Dr Bernadette L. Dean, the executive director at the Society of Pakistan English Language Teachers Prof. Zakia Sarwar and others.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 15th, 2013.
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We follow first world countries in all rubbish thing, Why can't we adopt any productive thing??
Arabic and English should be taught in place of Sindhi (and in place of other regional languages, these should be taught to those who are interested only).
It's about time!
@khan---so you'd rather learn a foreign language then a language native to your homeland? Learn English, but first learn Sindhi, Punjabi, Pashto, Balochi, etc.
@Khan You ignorant kid! Do you even have a slightest of the idea that in other "urban" areas of Sindh many non-Sindhi people speak Sindhi fluently, this includes Urdu-Speaking people as well. Two of my dad's friends who belong to Punjab speak Sindhi quite fluently as they have spent most of their life time in Sindh.
Nice ploy to energize your base......Although I have to say that it is a good thing to learn Sindhi especially when you are resident of Sind. I think the Urbanites should welcome it as a bridge building exercise. Especially if other political parties throw their weight behind it, it would be interesting to see PPP's reaction....
Learn English dude, who speak sindhi except sindhis