National Education Policy (NEP) 2009

National Education Policy 2009
Islamabad, Aug 20: The National Education Policy (NEP) 2009 prepared by the federal government seeks transformation of society along the lines of Islamic teachings and revitalise existing education system to cater to social, political and spiritual needs of individuals and society.

The NEP has nine chapters and describes overarching challenges, articulates the ways of filling the commitment-implementation gap, puts forward the provisions of Islamic education and transformation of the society on Islamic and human values, outlines reforms and policy actions to be taken at the sub-sector level, and broadly suggests a framework for implementation of the policy.

According to the policy's draft, teaching Islamiyat to Muslim students is meant to provide them with opportunities to learn understand and apply the fundamental principles of Islam in their lives. This, it says, will reform and develop society on the principles of the Holy Quran and Sunnah. The policy declares Islamic education as duty of the society and the state. It says ideology of Islam forms the genesis of the State of Islamic Republic of Pakistan and its fundamental principles were defined in the Objectives Resolution, 1949, which part of the Constitution.

Titled as Islamic Education, the NEP's Chapter Four gives out the vision for teaching Islamic Studies. It says as provided in the Constitution, all steps will be taken to enable Muslims of Pakistan, individually and collectively, to order their lives in accordance with the fundamental principles and basic concepts of Islam, and to provide facilities whereby they may be enabled to understand the meaning of life according to the Holy Quran and Sunnah.

According to the NEP, Islamiyat will be taught as a compulsory subject from Grade-I to Grade-XII, extending up to graduation level in all general and professional institutions, and advanced Islamic Studies will be offered as an elective subject at grades IX-X and XI-XII.

The policy divides the Islamiyat curriculum into five main parts – Al-Quran Al Kareem; Imaniyaat and Ibaadat; Seerat-e-Tayyiba; Ethics and Good Behaviour, and Prominent Personalities of Islam. The first part includes the reading of the Holy Quran (Nazira), the memorising selected small Suras of the Holy Quran (Hifz), the memorisation and translation of selected small Suras and the Quranic supplications, and selected Hadith.

According to it, the Islamic teachings will be made part of teacher training curricula and the curricula of other training institutions. It says Arabic teachers, preferably having the qualification as Qaris, will be appointed to such institutions. The policy promises to ensure that textual and other learning materials don't contain anything repugnant to Islamic injunctions and controversial material against any sect or religious or ethnic minorities.

The policy recommends teaching Ethics and Moral Education instead of Islamiyat to non-Muslim children, and appointment of subject specific teachers for the purpose.

The policy says Deeni Madaris (religious seminaries) will be mainstreamed by introducing contemporary studies alongside the curricula of Deeni Madaris to enhance prospects of their students to pursue higher studies. It recommends the establishment of Madrassa Education Authority by the Interior Ministry. Daily Times

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Parents annoyed over high fee structure
Islamabad: The parents and the students in the twin cities especially Rawalpindi are seems to be perturbed over increase in the fee structure of private institutions.

Around 70 private colleges are functioning in various parts of the Rawalpindi city, which are striving to help out government for enhancing literacy rate.

It is undeniable fact that the private institutions are playing vital role in imparting quality education to the students but their high fee structures compelled the students to resume their studies at the institutes, which are not up to the mark.

The parents as well as students have strongly rejected the increase in fees terming it difficult to spend such a large chunk of amount on the study of a single child.

A child who is not belonged to a well-being family, he may not be able to afford the hiked fees of a private school.

"The colleges are charging Rs25,000 to Rs35,000 from the students which is very heavy amount to pay. Even those who are belonging to well family cannot afford such fee as a result the students have to opt third class institutes", said a mother while showing concern.Principal Rawalpindi College of Commerce Masood Rahat said that the sharp dissimilarity in fee hike of the private institutions is due to the price hike prevailing in the country.

Responding to the question about 30 per cent increase in the fee, he said his college has not enhanced admission fees and it is wrong allegation. The college increase five to ten percent fee on annual basis.

An official of Roots School System informed that the school has increased the salaries of the staff with the fee so that quality education can be given to the students.

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Best teacher awards
Islamabad: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) will host the `Best University Teacher Awards Ceremony' for the year 2008 here on August 21 (Friday). The award would be given to honour the dedicated efforts of the teachers to enhance the academic atmosphere in the institutions of higher learning, said a news release issued here. The news

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