ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif`s recent directive to the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to make changes to the curriculum at the primary, secondary, college and university levels has drawn widespread criticism from opposition parties, civil society and educationists.

While the idea of promoting democratic ideas in curriculum was welcomed, the decision was seen as contrary to the 18th constitutional amendment which made education a provincial subject.

`The HEC has no role in school education; by directing it to make changes in the curriculum at national level, the government has violated 18th constitutional amendment,` Senator Farhatullah Babar said.

The senator even expressed opposition to the idea of a national curriculum council. He added that some days back the minister for federal education and professional training Balighur Rehman convened an inter-provincial meeting of ministers to develop a consensus on the formation of national curriculum council.

`We had moved a motion in the Senate against the meeting as after the passage of 18th Amendment, education is a provincial subject.

As far as the directive for bringing changes in curriculum through the HEC is concerned, this is totally against the spirit of the Constitution, he said.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister forElementary and Secondary Education Mohammad Atif Khan criticised the prime minister`s decision. `The provincial governments are fully capable of bringing changes in curriculum,` he said.

He added that instead of interfering in provincial matters, the federal government should focus on important federal level issues. `We reject any changes in curriculum through the HEC,` he said.

Federation of All Pakistan Universities Staff Association President Dr Waheed Chaudhry also expressed serious concerns over the decision. He said the H E C should only be involve d in bringing changes to the curriculum of higher education as per its mandate.

A committee comprising experts in school curriculum should bring changes to the school curriculum.

`The idea of bringing changes in the national curriculum is good but it should be implemented after consultation and debate and through proper channels,` he said.

Dr Chaudhry added that all stakeholders such as experts in higher education, school education, civil society as well as constitutional experts should be taken on board before any changes are made.

Private School Association President Dr Afzal Babur said efforts were made for many months by the ministry of federal education and professional training to develop a consensus among the provinces for the formation of National Curriculum Council (NCC). Unfortunately, rather than notifying NCC, the government had directed HEC to make changes to the national curriculum from school to university level.

Three ofthefourprovinceshad approved the formation of National Curriculum Council while Sindh had opposed the idea in the third Interprovincial Education Ministers Conference.

A senior official in the education ministry also called for formation of the NCC.Further criticism came from the civil society which, while supporting the idea that curriculum should develop an understanding of constitutional democracy, rule of law, supremacy of parliament etc, said post 18th Amendment intervention of the federal government in school curriculum was a violation of federal democratic norms.

Pakistan Social Services Partnership (PSSP), a network of 62 civil society organisations, issued a statement demanding that the federal government withdraw its decision to delegate curriculum revision to HEC which is in contravention of the Constitution.

It called for the Council of Common Interests (CCI) to formulate a committee representative of all four provinces to make any changes to the curriculum. They also demanded for the representation of civil society organisations in the committee as well as the inclusion of a discussion on Right to Information (14-A) in curriculum.

`This is contrary to provincial autonomy and spirit of 18th Amendment. Moreover, as per 1976 Act, the HE C is mandated to deal with educational matters including curriculum revision of institutions above grade 12 (intermediate), said Gulbaz Ali Khan, who heads an NGO that works for education.

HEC Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed said the commission would take all provinces on board for making changes in the national curriculum.

`We will facilitate educational experts in bringing changes to the national curriculum in light of the prime minister`s directive.

`The HEC has national curriculum committees for all subjects and to include anything new, we need to take up that through those committees,` he added.

Despite repeated attempts, Minister of State forMinistryofFederalEducationandProvincial Training Balighur Rehman could not be contacted for his comments.