Prime Minister Imran Khan has formally launched new Single National Curriculum (SNC). It is indeed a revolutionary step in the history of Pakistan. It is heartening to note that SNC has already been implemented in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. The new curriculum would be implemented in all public, private schools and Madaaris (seminaries) at once (from Monday). According to federal education minister Shafqat Mahmood, model textbooks have been prepared from class one to five which are being implemented. He has also said that private publishers will be allowed to publish books according to the curriculum.

The need for having a single national curriculum for ending a gross injustice with poor people in particular cannot be over-emphasized. The federal government deserves praise for taking this step. It, however, seems to have committed a grave mistake by not taking Sindh on board while finalizing SNC. Sindh has some legitimate concerns with regard to federal government’s move. The federal government must reach out to the Sindh government to ease latter’s concerns in order to end unnecessary bickering over SNC.

Subhan Khan (Karachi)

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021