Education policy of 2009 still in vogue

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Federal Education has not introduced a new education policy since 2009, Dawn has learnt.

The website of the ministry shows that the country has the National Education Policy 2009, draft national education policy 2016 and a national education policy framework 2018.

Sources in the ministry said during the last few years efforts were made to finalise a new policy but these could not bear fruits.

They said that there was a need to make changes to the existing policy to make it relevant and rationale. The policy of 2009 stated that education budget should be 7pc of GDP, which is irrational, adding that the economic survey of 2021-22 had stated that country’s education sector got only 1.7pc of the GDP last year.

They said that in the new policy the education budget should be 4pc of GDP. Similarly, they said that the policy should focus on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Information Technology, e-learning and blended learning, etc.

The PML-N government in its tenure (2013-18) had announced on several occasions that it was going to amend the national education policy and a draft was prepared but it was never finalised.

Similarly, during PTI’s tenure, a proper policy was not finalised and only a national education policy framework was issued.

Officials of the education ministry, while referring to the draft policy, said in 2016 it was decided that nine more chapters would be added to the national policy and it would be made into a comprehensive national document.

The issue of new education policy was also highlighted a couple of months ago in National Assembly as well.

In reply to a question, MNA Shahida Rehmani was informed by Minister of Education Rana Tanveer Hussain that the National Education Policy 2009 was still intact and work on development of a new policy had been initiated.

“Yes, National Education Policy [of 2009] is still intact. Work on development of a new educational policy has already been initiated.

“In this regard, a National Education Policy Framework was also issued in 2018 where uniform education system was one of the priority areas,” the minister stated in his response.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2022

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