With the aim to target educational inequality and poor standards, the PTI government introduced “Single National Curriculum” this year and declared it a groundbreaking advancement in Pakistani education. Although the government should have focused on improving the teaching quality, facilities in schools, or the flawed system of assessments, it went for the easy option that required fewer resources and could earn it more credit. Since then, there have been debates whether it is a step towards the future or an attempt to derail the existing system?
To understand it, one needs to look at the idea behind SNC, and that is “equality of opportunity.” And to materialize this, the government should have focused on improving the implementation because introducing a new curriculum will not solve the problem instead create more. On one side, the world is going towards diversity, and here in Pakistan, SNC aims to produce a generation with a unified mindset to promote so-called “patriotism.”
Another problem is extreme censorship, where the books are being sent to the Ulema board for approval. This has led to the excessive influence of Islam on education, and even the science textbooks are being changed to meet the new criteria. Again, when the rest of the world is going towards inclusivity, we isolate our minorities.
In Pakistan, education has been a provincial matter since the 18th Amendment. The idea behind it was to devolve power and create a system where students are being taught according to their needs. But SNC reversed all the progress and tried to hang all keys on one girdle. In light of all these things, one can claim that SNC is indeed a step in the wrong direction that will take Pakistan to the dark ages.
The imposition of SNC is truly problematic. I agree with the points that you highlighted. The syllabus that we had studied was introduced a couple of decades before, rather than updating it in accordance with time to make it more cohesive that can grasp all the concepts introduced time to time, they want to implement SNC as so-called equalized or "Education for all". The concept of a single national curriculum being associated with higher education quality is debatable. Its execution is intended to make the educational system more inclusive, but I believe it will worsen injustice. It doesn't actually address unfairness because privileged schools continue to offer other topics under the pretext of extra classes. As a result, it limits…
I agree with the assertions against the SNC that you have put forth. The idea of linking a single national curriculum with better education quality is ambiguous. Its implementation is meant to make the education system more equal, however, in my opinion it would exacerbate inequity further. It is not really addressing inequity as elite schools are still teaching other subjects under the guise of additional classes. Therefore, it is restricting opportunities for schools, especially public and low-fee private schools, to expand their pedagogical tools and limit them to the criterion set by the government. Although it seems to create a more equal environment, it is far from being equitable.The SNC seems more like a ceiling rather than a floor…
I agree with everyone else that more censorship is spreading like a virus, eroding our freedom and principles. Minorities' rights cannot be preserved if the majority of key choices are made with the masses in mind. The SNC is problematic in itself because it has promoted patriarchy and harmed gender equality, for example by publishing photographs of women sitting on the floor and men sitting on the couch. The photographs clearly show the difference in appropriate clothing for men and women. This image promotes Pakistan's already existing gender divide, resulting in less possibilities for women in all fields. It also reinforces the distinction between "good" and "bad" women. Good women are those who wear scarves, are obedient and submissive, and…
I will agree with the author that the "Single National Curriculum" will do more harm than good as its implementation is not logically explained. Moreover, the government's instructions and guidelines create more confusion than clearing up the mess. SNC looks great on the bigger picture, that it will end the divisions within our education systems and unite the students and the teachers. However, it is fundamentally flawed as it does not cater to the cognitive approaches of different students (Cambridge students in particular). Some students may feel overwhelmed by the syllabus; on the other hand, others may think that the syllabus is underdeveloped. Furthermore, the government did not include the opinions of educational sector representatives while developing this plan; this…
I completely agree with the author's assertion that SNC has caused numerous problems in Pakistan's already-existing educational system, and that its implementation was not as smooth as it appeared. Although I believe that SNC was a great idea, it was not done as well as it could have been. I think the goal of this concept was to not only provide equal opportunities for all people, but also to foster cooperation among them. There are various educational extremes in Pakistan, ranging from Madrasas to government schools to elite private institutions. This diversification is damaging in the sense that different groups from various academic institutions have become estranged from one another. The objective is not to eliminate the heterogeneity of students…