Experts Urge Uniform National Curriculum, Seek April 2028 Deadline for Rollout

Imran Masood calls for federal-provincial coordination; education experts warn against rushed implementation

Syed Naveed Hussain

ISLAMABAD: Former Punjab education minister Mian Imran Masood has called for a coordinated federal-provincial strategy to maintain uniformity in the national curriculum, proposing April 2028 as the deadline for implementing the revised curriculum to ensure adequate preparation, teacher training and quality textbook development.

Speaking at a media briefing on curriculum reforms in Pakistan here on Tuesday, he said the proposed extension would give education authorities sufficient time to prepare quality textbooks, train teachers and equip educational institutions for the transition to the new system.

Masood expressed concern that separate curriculum development initiatives by the federal government, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could create disparities in educational standards and difficulties for students moving from one province to another. He stressed the need for the federal government and all provinces to agree on a common core curriculum through mutual consultation.

He noted that despite the devolution of curriculum-related powers to the provinces under the 18th Constitutional Amendment, a broad degree of uniformity had been maintained across the country from 2010 to 2026.

“Curriculum is not merely a document; it is the foundation of the entire education system,” he said, adding that students’ learning outcomes, teacher training, lesson planning and examination systems all depended on its quality and structure.

Masood said curriculum and textbook development was a lengthy process involving content preparation, review by relevant institutions, obtaining no-objection certificates (NOCs), printing and distribution to educational institutions. Effective implementation also required adequate teacher training and school preparedness.

Highlighting the limited number of teaching days in Pakistan, he said schools offered approximately 140 to 145 instructional days annually, compared with 192 to 220 days in several other countries. He called for better alignment between curriculum objectives and the actual number of teaching days to improve learning outcomes.

He emphasised that ensuring equal educational opportunities for all children required a reasonably consistent standard of curricula and textbooks throughout the country.

Oxford University Press Managing Director Arshad Hussain, addressing the briefing, described curriculum reform as a welcome development but stressed that its successful implementation required adequate time, coordinated planning and cooperation between the federal and provincial governments.

He said the federal government and the National Curriculum Council, along with Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, were working on curriculum development at their respective levels, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had already announced its curriculum.

Hussain cautioned that differences in curricula at the initial grades could lead to inconsistencies in educational standards and create challenges for students transferring between provinces.

He proposed that the federal and provincial governments jointly develop a common core curriculum, setting uniform standards for key subjects, including English, Urdu, mathematics and science. At the same time, he said, social studies could accommodate provincial histories, geography and local requirements.

Shazia Asghar of Oxford University Press stressed the importance of ensuring high-quality education at the early childhood and primary levels. She also called on the provinces to work with the National Curriculum Council to agree on common standards for English, Urdu, mathematics and science.

She said provinces could incorporate additional content into social studies in line with their regional contexts and local needs while maintaining consistency in the standards of core subjects.

Ms Asghar also supported allowing time until April 2028 for implementation, arguing that the focus should be on effective teaching and the achievement of desired learning outcomes rather than rushing the introduction of a new curriculum.