The Federal Minister for Education and Professional Trainings, Shafqat Mahmood, announced via Twitter Wednesday that private schools will be allowed to teach any additional material and subjects under the Single National Curriculum (SNC).
Minister Mahmood said that the SNC prescribes minimum learning standards like the core curriculum and does not bar private schools from teaching other material or additional subjects. Additionally, private schools are at liberty of using books that comply with the national curriculum policy.
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The decision came days after the federal minister had ordered an extensive consultation process on the National Education Policy 2021.
While presiding over a meeting of the Ministry of Education, Minister Mahmood said that all the stakeholders in the education sector should be taken on board for consultations.
While the private sector schools have welcomed the allowances, experts on education are criticizing the move as a decision allegedly made under the pressure of the education mafia.
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An expert commented that the government is creating a basis for the failure of the new system by allowing private schools to teach from books of their choice.
“When you are allowing private schools to use any book consistent with NSC you are actually creating a basis for the failure of the new system. Moreover, it also shows that you are giving in to pressure asserted by the cluster of education mafia. Govt lacks the capacity to implement it,” the expert remarked.