Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mehmood has said that the federal government would soon announce a uniform curriculum for the entire country to end disparity between different educational systems in the country.

“We are in the process of making curriculum for all children across Pakistan, and kids enrolled with government-run or private schools or even madrassas will be taught only one curriculum,” the federal minister was quoted as saying by The Nation at the concluding session of the three-day celebrations in connection with Quaid Day on Wednesday.

Addressing the event organised by Sindh Madrassatul Islam University, Mehmood said the country was riddled with different systems of education, therefore, the government wanted to introduce a uniform curriculum.

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“These different systems of education have divided the country’s philosophy, and a uniform syllabus will help put an end to this condition,” he said, adding that Tanzeemul Madaris had also accepted his ministry’s suggestion, according to which children in madrassas would be required to appear in matriculation and intermediate examinations.

Earlier this year, the Punjab government had also promised a uniform curriculum at least for primary schools in the province from 2020.

“A uniform curriculum for primary schools in the province will be introduced by March 2020,” Schools Education Minister Murad Raas had told the Punjab Assembly in January. Responding to a written question in the provincial house, he had said the curriculum would also include a certain portion of religious teachings and that uniform syllabus for higher levels would be introduced in due course.

Replying to a query about existence of both English and Urdu mediums in state-run schools, he had chided former chief minister Shehbaz Sharif for it saying the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader introduced English medium without making available teachers for the purpose.

He said English would be taught in primary schools as a language and other subjects would be taught in Urdu.