Education is a strategic imperative for Pakistan and it should be at the heart of every government. The national curriculum, the backbone of the educational system, should remain as federal subject for promoting national cohesion while the elementary and secondary education be given priority to produce good material for higher institutions and develop a root-based leadership.
These views were expressed by the speakers at the seminar on "Role of Curriculum in Nation Building" organised jointly by PINA" and "AFAQ" which produces children encyclopaedia and arranges teachers training in Pakistan.
Eminent educationist Professor Dr Rafique Ahmad, in his presidential address, said that formation of national curriculum was a highly delicate and sensitive responsibility, which if transferred to the provinces, would be over shadowed by parochial prejudices and bound to damage national unity. He proposed that a National Education Commission be established at the centre to address the high imperatives of educating the nation.
According to a study, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan and China have national curriculums, which are funded by the centrer. "Students of age from 5 to 15 years are the potential force which can build the country and need utmost care and attention of elders. In developed countries, higher education is taken care of by the industrialists while the secondary education receives full attention of the government," he said. He emphasised on the need to spend at least 5 to 7 per cent of GDP on education which can be managed by curtailing the luxurious and ostentatious expenditure on administration and VIP culture.
He said that the nation's survival depends on pursuing the basic objective of Pakistan viz just and exploitation-free society. Altaf Hasan Qureshee Secretary General PINA recalled the All Pakistan Education Conference presided by the Quaid-e-Azam in December 1947 cautioned that education would be critical for Pakistan's viability as a state, but unfortunately since then none of the successive governments had given it utmost urgency.
He drew the attention of the educationists to the 18th Amendment whereby federal subject of education was transferred to the provinces without giving full consideration to its implications. Now this seminar can discuss the pros and cons of the sudden change and recommend suitable measures. Professor Dr Suhaib Hasan Murad Rector University of Management & Technology (UMT) and Chairman of the AFAQ said in an emerging global world the curriculum had assumed special significance. It has to cater the need-based requirements of the emotionally, intellectually and technologically-developed man as well as the national aspirations. This task should be entrusted to the federal government, which has the potential and capacity to develop curriculum at national level. He added that media and other communication devices should also strengthen the value system and ideological dimensions, he added.
Dr Murad outlined the importance of process of character building, which requires a great deal of research and experimentation. "Well thought out national curriculum and well-trained teachers are the tools of reformation and orientation. We are heading towards divisive tendencies and to check this state of affairs, we must focus on developing curriculum at national level," he added.
Raja Muhammad Anwar, Chairman Punjab Education Foundation stated that it was the responsibility of the state to provide education, justice and basic needs to every citizen. He deplored that education was badly neglected, which is the best instrument of bringing change in the society. He disclosed that thousands of primary and secondary schools were in bad shape and at least 200 billions of rupees were needed for their proper maintenance and expansion. According to latest survey, he said, only in Khanewal District 275,000 children do not go to schools and there is 35 per cent drop out after 8th class.
He underlined the need to pay full attention on elementary and secondary education. He was of the view that provinces would be able to accommodate the beauty of local cultures and traditions in the curriculum. However, it may be suggested that a high-powered Co-ordination Committee should be set up to oversee the whole process, he added.
He emphasised that there was a need to teach geography and history to students, as these subjects equip them with historical insight and vision of strategic location. He said that Punjab Government out of its total budget of Rs 450 billion was spending more than Rs 130 billion on education and introduced examinations at 5th and 10th level to bring uniformity in the education standard.
Mohtarma Dr Mumtaz Akhtar, Director IER Punjab University said that national integration was the need of the hour and it could be promoted through a unified system of education. She was of the view that the curriculum should be need-based along with the higher objective of attaining a respectable place in the comity of nations.