ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training has finalised the revision of curricula for Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) from class one to five under which they gave special emphasis on ethical values, civil conduct, global citizenship, tolerance and respect for diversity.
The working group of education specialists, curriculum experts, teachers and government officials completed the process under the support of education ministry, an official of the ministry said on Thursday.
He said, the final draft of curricula was put up for the approval process in the ministry and was expected to be approved and notified by the end of this month. After notification, the process for textbook preparation would be started, and new textbooks based on revised curriculum were expected to be developed by December this year.
He said Minister for Federal Education Engr Balighur Rehman spearheaded and closely monitored the review process which was being actively carried out for the past few months.
The minister said he had also issued special guidelines that the new curriculum should also give attention to ethical values and civil conduct and the material should also focus on health and hygiene; civic sense and global citizenship; environmental protection and energy conservation; democratic culture, national harmony; tolerance and respect for diversity.
The minister, in an earlier statement, had said the government was placing huge importance on improving the quality of education and research in the country, and the curriculum review project was a step forward in that direction. “The ministry was undertaking curriculum review to match the modern international education standards,” he added.
Eight subject specialist committees comprising of 10 members were responsible for curricula review and revision. Subject groups reviewed and revised in the exercise include ECCE (Pre-primary education), languages (Urdu and English), general science, general knowledge, social studies, mathematics and Islamic Studies.
It may be noted that earlier in May, the minister had launched Curriculum for Accelerated Learning Programme (ALP) which the federal education ministry had developed in collaboration with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The curriculum under ALP offers complete primary education equivalent of up to class five to out-of-school children in short time of fewer than three years (32 months).
The programme particularly caters to children who have crossed the primary school going age and have missed their early years of schooling due to poor socio-economic backgrounds, religious and ethnic compulsions, and poor results, physical or mental challenges.
