Curriculum and Textbooks

Curriculum development is an important sub-sector of our education system. It was a federal subject before 18^th amendment. However, after the amendment provinces are being empowered to do the job on their own. It is a sensitive subject in our country as different political and religious philosophies exist in our society. Basically, curriculum process gives sufficient answers to the questions like what to teach and how to teach. It is just like the blueprint of an architect. Curriculum planning is almost impossible without a consensus on core national issues. Political interference in the curriculum is mostly observed in our country to promote specific ideology of the sitting political parties. This situation leads the nation to split opinion and mistrust on the entire public schooling system.

Curriculum Evaluation is an integral and regular process within the curriculum development. Scientific approach to the evaluation of curriculum at different stages does not exist at national and provincial level. Curriculum evaluation identifies problems at gross root level and paves the way towards improvements. This aspect of the process has not been institutionalized to make the curriculum students-friendly and socially acceptable.

Another important aspect of curriculum is its implementation. Most of the problems of our system pertaining to curriculum relates to this domain. Proper guidance and training to the teachers ensure and strengthen the implementation process of curriculum. There is no proper mechanism in our system to monitor the curriculum implementation process and provide on-the-spot academic support to teachers. Presently, the process of supervision is only limited to administrative activities and academic supervision does not exist in our system at all.

Textbooks assume a position of central importance in the schooling system; unfortunately the sole vehicle to incorporate and interpret curriculum concepts and the only base for all types of students assessments. Text books are currently prepared by the Textbook Board. Textbook Board has no capacity at all to test its material in the field during or after development. It totally depends on the experience of authors, face value and expert judgments. There is no rigorous and scientific process of trial and revision before large scale publication. 

Text book is the only source of knowledge in our system. We can expand the scope of knowledge by introducing other supplementary reading materials, educational Television, internet and field trips etc. Unfortunately this aspect has been ignored by the planners of our education. Our politicians and other stakeholders usually use the terms ‘Curriculum’ and ‘textbooks’ interchangeably. However, it is essential to keep in mind that curriculum is a plan and textbook is a tool through which a plan is implemented. We can implement our plan through other tools, as mentioned earlier, beside textbooks. 

It is important to produce variety in the knowledge base of our education by introducing other crucial knowledge sources beyond text books. Textbook quality also needs to be improved in the light of scientific approaches. Capacity building measures are also important to undertake the vital job of curriculum and textbook evaluation on regular basis.