Former Punjab education minister Mian Imran Masood has urged the federal and provincial governments to agree on a common core curriculum and allow time until April 2028 for its implementation.
Speaking at a media briefing on curriculum reforms, Masood said this would give schools and publishers sufficient time to prepare quality textbooks, train teachers and align teaching and assessment systems.
He cautioned that separate curricula being developed by the federal government, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could create disparities in educational standards and difficulties for students moving between provinces.
He called for a coordinated approach to ensure comparable learning standards nationwide.
The briefing comes amid parallel curriculum developments at the federal and provincial levels.
The National Curriculum Council is seeking public feedback on the draft National Curriculum Framework 2026 and the proposed curriculum for early childhood education through Grade 5, while Punjab has approved a revised primary curriculum for the 2027 academic year.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has also issued revised curricula for secondary and higher secondary classes.
Masood said that despite the devolution of curriculum responsibilities to provinces under the 18th Constitutional Amendment, broad consistency was maintained between 2010 and 2026.
He stressed that a curriculum underpins the entire education system, shaping learning outcomes, teacher preparation, classroom planning and examinations.
He also highlighted Pakistan’s limited school year, with roughly 140 to 145 teaching days annually, compared with 192 to 220 days in several other countries.
Arshad Saeed, Managing Director of Oxford University Press Pakistan, welcomed the reforms but said their success depended on careful planning and cooperation between federal and provincial authorities.
He proposed a common core curriculum for English, Urdu, mathematics and science, allowing provinces to include their distinct histories, geography and local contexts in social studies.
Speakers stressed that students need consistent learning standards at the foundational and primary levels, and called for adequate time for pilot teaching, textbook development and teacher training before the revised curriculum is introduced.
They warned against rushed implementation that could undermine learning outcomes, and said the proposed timeline until April 2028 would allow these stages to be completed in an orderly manner.
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