The order by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan to form a National Curriculum Council (NCC) is a much needed initiative because reforms in the education sector are long due. One sector which has been gravely affected by the wave of terrorism in the country is the education sector and the lack of prioritisation has created a vast divide between public and private school. The NCC is being formed with the aim of introducing uniform standards of education in the country with the input of the relevant stakeholders. This means that along with infrastructural changes, the government aims to improve the quality of education in the country.

In the last tenure, both Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) governments worked extensively to improve the infrastructure facilities of the education institutes in the provinces. What the government needs now are qualitative measures which will ensure that the education being provided sets the basis of a student, is fair and provides equal opportunities of success. The reliance on the already available infrastructure and making optimum utilisation of it is a step which must be commended. This will not only save a lot of resources but also set in motion, the idea that change needs to begin from the already established structures.

The ruling party has always emphasised the importance of youth in the country. If more than half the population is comprised of young individuals, then the curriculum needs to be devised diligently and must be focused on utilising each person’s potential to its maximum capacity. The last KP government successfully implemented the Youth Programme in the province and it is very likely that we will witness an extension of it in other provinces too after it has proven to be a success.

There is a need to find technology driven solutions, improve the intake in schools, focus on the education of girls who are deprived of this right, and think of innovation solutions for non-formal education. The greatest challenge right now is improving the teaching staff because the need is dedicated teachers who understand the impact of their role in a student’s life and actively take part in the improvement of curriculum. At the same time, educational institutions need to be safe from extremist narratives and should be hubs of diversity and acceptance. This is a difficult challenge that the government is undertaking but with its division in phases, the stakeholders are hopeful of improvement.