Islamabad: Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Friday stressed the need for comprehensive reforms in curriculum and teacher training to prepare students for the demands of the modern world, saying teachers must move beyond traditional lecture-based teaching.
Addressing at a the Mission Control Center of the National Institute of Excellence in Teacher Education (NIETE), the minister said curriculum reform could only deliver the desired results if teachers possessed the skills and capacity to teach according to the requirements of the new era.
He said that the creativity was driven by the ability to ask questions, stressing that students should be encouraged to develop curiosity, inquiry and critical thinking. He said the human mind drew its ability to answer questions primarily from the depth of its knowledge base and observation, adding that the more a person studied and observed, the greater his capacity to process and understand complex issues.
The minister said the Quran repeatedly encouraged observation, reflection and the use of intellect, describing these as essential elements of a knowledge-based society.
He said the Muslim civilization had historically made significant contributions to knowledge because of its tradition of inquiry, research, observation and intellectual curiosity. He called for an education system that produced ‘book owners’ rather than ‘bookworms’, saying young people needed to develop a thirst for learning and the ability to create knowledge.
He also highlighted the role of teachers in making education a joyful and meaningful experience for students. ‘The job of a teacher is that a teacher has to make this learning process joyful, ‘ he said, adding that a successful teacher should inspire students to look forward to attending his or her class.
The minister said teachers should not merely impart academic knowledge but also help develop good citizens, stressing that the purpose of education extended beyond numerical and language skills to character-building and civic responsibility.
Referring to the curriculum reforms undertaken during 2017-18, Ahsan Iqbal said that after reassuming office, he sought an update on the progress of the reforms and was surprised to find that the curriculum had been significantly weakened.
He pointed out shortcomings in social studies textbooks, including inadequate representation of the Mughal period and limited coverage of Pakistan’s industrial development, science and innovation. He said the curriculum needed to present country’s history and achievements appropriately while also preparing students for the country’s future economic and technological requirements.
The minister said the new curriculum should provide students with the world’s best scientific knowledge while also strengthening their confidence in their history, culture and national identity. He said learning English was important but students should not lose confidence in their own cultural identity.
Ahsan Iqbal also stressed the responsibility of teachers to inculcate values such as respect for elders, respect for women, kindness, tolerance and civic responsibility among students.
Describing teachers as ‘social engineers’, he said they had a key role in shaping society and could not use the deterioration of society as an excuse for compromising their own standards. ‘We have to bring the teachers to that level with the best training. We have to recognize them. We have to praise them, ‘ he said.
The minister said teaching should be regarded as a mission rather than merely a profession, adding that the teacher is not a job; it’s a mission.
Planning Minister said that the teachers should take responsibility for the progress of every child in their classrooms rather than focusing only on average examination results or high-performing students.
He said modern technology could facilitate customized learning according to the needs and abilities of individual students, adding that teachers needed to be trained to support every child.
The minister called for the establishment of a state-of-the-art teacher training centre in Islamabad, saying it should aspire to become the best such facility in South Asia. He said teacher training should go beyond lesson planning and focus on holistic personality development, including values, leadership, communication, tolerance and democratic citizenship.
The minister stressed the need to teach students how to handle differences of opinion through dialogue, saying intolerance and an inability to accept opposing views had contributed to polarization and extremism in society.
The minister further called for equal emphasis on hard and soft skills, saying Pakistan faced a leadership deficit partly because education systems had traditionally placed insufficient emphasis on communication, leadership and other soft skills.
He expressed hope that teacher-training modules would incorporate these elements and produce world-class teachers capable of preparing knowledgeable, responsible and peaceful citizens. ‘We can train world-class teachers and then we can give those world-class students and world-class citizens to Pakistan, ‘ he concluded.
