Plans after Eid: Sindh govt to punish schools not teaching Sindhi

A 12-member committee will overlook revamping of syllabus.

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"An outdated syllabus is being taught at our schools in this modern world and over the years no one has paid any heed to it," commented Khuhro.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 15^th, 2013.