Former Punjab Minister Gives Deadline to Implement Common Core Curriculum Across Pakistan

Former Punjab education minister Mian Imran Masood has pressed the federal and provincial governments to agree on a common core curriculum and allow time until April 2028 for its implementation.

Key points

• According to Masood, despite the devolution of curriculum responsibilities to provinces under the 18th Constitutional Amendment, broad consistency was maintained between 2010 and 2026.
• He additionally highlighted Pakistan's limited school year, with roughly 140 to 145 teaching days annually, compared with 192 to 220 days in a number of other countries.
• Arshad Saeed, Managing Director of Oxford University Press Pakistan, welcomed the reforms but remarked their success depended on careful planning and cooperation between federal and provincial authorities.
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has additionally issued revised curricula for secondary and higher secondary classes.
• 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.

Speaking at a media briefing on curriculum reforms, Masood remarked this would provide 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 administration, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could create disparities in educational standards and difficulties for students moving between provinces.

He pressed a coordinated approach to ensure comparable learning standards nationwide.

In practice, the briefing comes against the backdrop of parallel curriculum developments at the federal and provincial levels. Punjab Approves 30-Day Remission for Inmates Who Can Read.

While Punjab has approved a revised primary curriculum for the 2027 academic year, 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.

He stressed that a curriculum underpins the entire education system, shaping learning outcomes, teacher preparation, classroom planning and examinations.

Arshad Saeed, Managing Director of Oxford University Press Pakistan, welcomed the reforms but remarked their success depended on careful planning and cooperation between federal and provincial authorities. HEC Partners With Foreign Ministry for Digital Degree Verification.

Speakers stressed that students need consistent learning standards at the foundational and primary levels, and pressed adequate time for pilot teaching, textbook development and teacher training before the revised curriculum is introduced.

They cautioned against rushed implementation that could undermine learning outcomes, and stated the proposed timeline until April 2028 would allow these stages to be completed in an orderly manner. Stay Connected with ProPakistani.

Obtain the latest education news, admissions updates, and scholarship alerts wherever you prefer. Follow on Google Discover. Follow on Google News Join WhatsApp. See more ProPakistani stories in Google Search and Top Stories.

In short, former Punjab Minister Gives Deadline to Implement Common Core Curriculum Across Pakistan is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.