Uniform curriculum a step towards ending injustices, divisions: Shafqat Mehmood

• Uniform curriculum for 1st to 5th grades to be implemented from tomorrow, Shafqat Mehmood. 
• A uniform curriculum is a step towards ending injustices and divisions says Shafqat Mehmood. 
• PM Imran Khan will formally launch the curriculum tomorrow. 

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mehmood on Sunday said that the current curriculum is based on injustices, therefore, the introduction of a uniform curriculum will be a step towards ending injustices and divisions.

Holding a press conference in Islamabad on Sunday, the minister announced that a uniform curriculum for classes 1 to 5 will be implemented from tomorrow.

The curriculum will be taught across all educational institutes, both private and public.

Mehmood stated that it is for the first time in the history of Pakistan that a uniform curriculum has been introduced.

He explained that a certain subset of people benefits from special curriculums in certain educational setups, while the majority of the students,  studying in madrassas and government schools, have difficulty moving forward.

Mehmood added that the educational system has divided society on the basis of different educational setups which, in turn, create vastly different realities for the students studying under them.

He clarified that the need for a uniform curriculum is not to inculcate the same thoughts but to create a sense of nationalism among students.

"Most countries around the world, including Britain, Japan, and China have a national curriculum," he said. "The lack of a unified curriculum creates injustices and divisions."

He added that a national curriculum alone will not end injustices and divisions but it is a step towards that goal.

Mehmood announced that PM Imran Khan will be formally launching the national curriculum tomorrow, adding that private publishers will be allowed to publish and distribute books according to the core curriculum.

The minister added that schools will be allowed to teach content beyond the core curriculum, however, contents of the core curriculum will not be compromised. 

Mehmood further stated that the education ministry is currently considering the introduction of exams for 5th and 8th-grades to check which schools are following the curriculum, and said that a uniform curriculum will be introduced for sixth to eighth grade next year.