Commerce Desk
ISLAMABAD : Former provincial education minister Mian Imran Masood has urged federal and provincial governments to adopt a common core curriculum and extend its implementation deadline to April 2028 to ensure proper preparation by schools, publishers and teachers.
Speaking at a media briefing on curriculum reforms, Masood warned that separate curricula being developed by the federal government, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could create educational disparities and difficulties for students moving between provinces.
He said a coordinated approach was essential to maintain consistent learning standards nationwide, while respecting provincial autonomy under the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
Oxford University Press Pakistan Managing Director Arshad Saeed supported the proposal, recommending a common core curriculum for English, Urdu, mathematics and science, with provinces retaining flexibility to include local history, geography and cultural perspectives in social studies.
The speakers stressed that curriculum reforms required adequate time for textbook development, teacher training, pilot teaching, printing and distribution. They also highlighted Pakistan’s limited annual teaching period of approximately 140 to 145 days.
They called for sustained cooperation among governments, curriculum bodies, publishers and education experts to improve learning outcomes and ensure equitable educational opportunities nationwide.
