2006 PAKISTAN NATIONAL CURRICULUM :
IMPORTANCE AND IMPLEMENTATION
When we think about education , one of the most important things that comes to mind is curriculum . An educational system depends upon a curriculum to systematize and execute the process of education . It is also a tool that helps teachers and other agents consistently impart education to each generation of students . A curriculum is a channel that school administrations need for giving educational and life skills to students . Unfortunately , in Pakistan this idea is highly misunderstood and as a result students do not receive an enriched educational experience in schools .
After the independence of Pakistan in 1947 , the first educational conference was convened in Karachi to restructure and reshape the whole process of education , including the curriculum . The idea was to make the curriculum more effective and responsive to the needs of the country .
Consequently , the Government of Pakistan established the Curriculum Wing of the Ministry of Education as the ‘ competent authority ’ for matters related to grades 1 through 12 , and dubbed the University Grants Commission ( predecessor of the Higher Education Commission ) as the body to handle matters for education beyond grade 12 .
The present National Curriculum of Pakistan was developed in 2006 . So far it has revamped curriculum , syllabus , planning , policy , centers of excellence and standards of education for 25 subjects , including early childhood development , Urdu ( grades 1-12 ), English ( grades 1-12 ), Islamiat ( grades 3-12 ), Ethics ( grades 3-12 ), Mathematics ( grades 1-12 ), Science ( grades 4-8 ), Social Studies ( grades 4-5 ), and History ( grades 6-8 ), among others .
ORGANIZATION AND FRAMEWORK OF PAKISTAN ’ S NATIONAL CURRICULUM
Key Learning Area
Competencies
6
A standard defines the Competencies Each competency has a different number of standards
Standards
6
Benchmarks further elaborate the standards A benchmark progresses through developmental levels
Developmental Levels
I-II III-V VI-VIII IX-X XI-XII
Benchmarks
6
Students Learning Outcomes ( SLOs )
SLOs are built on the description of the benchmarks Each benchmark has a different number of SLOs
36 | JOURNEY OF HOPE CENTRAL ASIA INSTITUTE