ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has finally moved forward to bring changes to the national curriculum in the light of the prime minister`s recent directives.

The commission has directed the four provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Fata and the Islamabad capital territory (ICT) to suggest amendments to their existing curricula.

The decision was taken at a meeting held at the HEC with Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed in the chair. The meeting was attended by experts from all the provinces and regions besides joint education adviser Rafiq Tahir of the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training.

`Before bringing changes to the national curriculum, we have decided to review the existing one,` said Mr Tahir.

According to the PM`s directives, after consulting provinces the HEC would include constitutional democracy, rule of law, supremacy of parliament, importance of judiciary, etc., in Pakistan Studies, English and Urdu subjects.

Mr Tahir said during the meeting various committees were constituted which would review the existing curriculum to check if it carried the above-mentioned subjects.

During the meeting, it was also agreed that if the existing curriculum was found covering a majority of these subjects, an amended syllabus would be introduced in schools from the next academic session starting from April.

`After receiving an input from the provinces, the matter will be presented before the newly-formed National Curriculum Council (NCC) which has equal representations from all provinces,` he said.

Talking to Dawn, Syed Tajamal Hussain Shah, a senior officer at the curriculumwing, said it was also discussed in the meeting that additional or supplementary information about the subjects could also be given to students in the shape of booklets.

`However, after receiving an input from the provinces, a clear picture will emerge.` He said it would not be an issue for the curriculum wing to introduce an amended syllabus in the next academic session.

The PM`s directives drew widespread criticism, particularly from the PPP and the PTL They termed the directives contrary to the 18th constitutional amendments, which made education as a provincial subject.

However, the HEC chairman,Dr Mukhtar, said: `Our task is to facilitate provinces and develop a road-map for bringing about changes to the national curriculum.

He said the HEC would incorporate the views of the provinces in national curriculum.