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
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