The Single National Curriculum (SNC) is an attempt at reform made by the prime minister of Pakistan to eradicate the inequality rotted within the education system. The prime minister’s approach to rid Pakistan’s education system of existing divisions is based on the enforcement of a consistent curriculum. There is no debate about whether Pakistan’s education system is in dire need of reform. Moreover, it is essential to work towards reducing the evident and increasing gap between the country’s numerous education systems.
According to the prime minister, the SNC is the government’s effort to encourage unity within the country’s diversity. In short, the curriculum focuses on building the student’s character, invoking ideas of nationalism, spreading tolerance, and reminding the students of their civic duties. The objective of this curriculum is to create a platform for learning. Currently, the SNC is being implemented in all grades between I and VIII, and the government is planning on introducing a curriculum for classes IX and X, which is currently under the works. Schools are permitted to devise their respective syllabi by issuing a NOC. The main goal is to keep the quality of learning and teaching constant regardless of the syllabus chosen so that each student receives the same education.
Realistically speaking, the SNC is too idealistic to be an initiative that works towards redeeming the systematic inequality that plagues Pakistan’s education system. The Brookings Institution recently released a report that emphasizes how the SNC is simply a ruse of effective reforms required for transforming the standard of education in Pakistan. The curriculum has been criticized for having been unable to meet the public’s expectations and have questionable consequences with respect to the education system. Sindh has refused to adopt the SNC in the new term. In contrast, elite private schools in Lahore have continued with the new session without the new curriculum regardless of the government enforcing the implementation of the SNC on all private schools. Furthermore, the Minister for Education and Literacy has stated that education is a provincial matter. The constitution is against the federal government enforcing any curriculum they have prepared.
According to provincial ministries, the SNC recommendations for mathematics and science-based subjects are acceptable to some extent; however, the guidelines regarding what should or should not be compulsorily are problematic and inappropriate as each province possesses a unique spectrum of culture and language. Additionally, the SNC presents various linguistic issues. It is extremely unreasonable to shift the mode of teaching in the middle of a student’s academic journey. For example, if a student has studied a particular subject in English until grade 4, it would be illogical to expect them to continue learning the same subject in Urdu starting from grade 5. Such implementations can disrupt the student’s entire academic process. Likewise, all the students in the varying education systems come from unique backgrounds and grading them through a standardized system would be unjust.
Moreover, it is stated in Pakistan’s constitution that no individual has any obligation towards receiving religious education and nor can they be forced to do so, but the SNC issued textbooks have included verses from the Qur’anic along with other Islamic content in Science subjects. Similarly, all the pictures and diagrams incorporated in the SNC based textbooks have been amended under the supervision of religious experts. Perhaps, the most significant issue regarding compulsory textbooks is the proportion of progressive authors, which is far less than previously.
While evaluating the effectiveness of the SNC, numerous questions come to mind: Is it possible to eradicate the structural issues seated within the education system through a standardized model of learning? Is the inconsistency of a curriculum the sole entity responsible for the diminishing standard of education? Does the SNC ensure the same quality of education for both the rich and the poor? Similarly, does a new uniform curriculum aid the government in reducing the socio-economic obstacles that inhibit a large proportion of the population from getting high-quality education? How can the introduction of the SNC solve the crisis of 22.8 million children not being in school due to lack of accommodation and capable teachers? It cannot be said with confidence whether or not the SNC will be able to identify and rectify the structural issues of the education system. A uniform curriculum cannot fix the lack of training for teachers, increased absenteeism, and the absence of bare necessities like clean washrooms, drinking water, tables, chairs, and teaching equipment.
Furthermore, by introducing a standardized mode of teaching, the government is not even close to resolving the lack of infrastructure for educational spaces like broken-down buildings and open-air classrooms. Introducing the SNC does not make up for the low budget allocated for the education sector in Pakistan and the absence of a standardized curriculum cannot be the reason for the low ranking of Pakistani universities.
An essential aspect of any curriculum is that it needs to be devised by ensuring space for growth and development that encompasses a variety of regional, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds. Unfortunately, the SNC is discriminatory against various cultural and provincial knowledge, further disadvantaging students enrolled in government-based institutions. In addition, the curriculum limits future employment prospects and career opportunities for a significant portion of the population. The impact of the SNC is worse for students enrolled in religious institutions as they continue to be deprived of contemporary education and suffer from restricted access to the modern-day job market. One of the most worrying aspects may be how a uniform curriculum enforcing religious education encourages sectarianism and religious extremism, further regressing Pakistani society.
A standardized curriculum that constricts the content of syllabi and the teaching method may not be the best attempt at reforming the education sector in Pakistan. The education in both private and public sectors must be equal and of higher quality, so that young students can be prepared to function and succeed in the current global market.
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