Adviser to Chief Minister Balochistan for Secondary Education Muhammad Khan Lehri has said that school curriculum is being upgraded across the province in accordance with the modern needs. Education department has been handed over to provinces after the 18th amendment which is a positive prospect, he said.“After the 18th amendment, provinces can make necessary changes to improve basic education infrastructure,” Adviser Muhammad Khan Lehri said during a meeting of the National Curriculum Council.The meeting was chaired by the Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood.Provincial ministers from all the provinces and top officials were present on the occasion.Muhammad Khan Lehri asserted that upgrade of the school curriculum according to the modern requirements remains a priority of the provincial government hence several committees under the supervision of Secretary Education are functioning for the purpose.The provincial government has repeatedly stressed the need to develop the education sector.Muhammad Khan Lehri reiterated that the Balochistan government has taken necessary steps to ensure equal educational opportunities for every child in the province and for which meeting the international standards of education are necessary.Strict actions and immediate steps are also taken against teachers who do not perform their duties.Show-cause notices and suspension letters have also been issued to teachers in this regard.A series of meetings have been organised by the NCC to improve the basic structure of education in the country.Federal Minister Shafqat Mehmood urged all the ministers to speed up the upgradation of the syllabus and collaborate to deal with obstacles.He directed the provincial minister for education to keep the federal government informed about the progress regarding the implementation of plans.According to the federal minister, the uniform curriculum would be introduced not only in government schools but also in private institutions and seminaries.The main purpose of the exercise, he said, was to develop a curriculum through which good, educated and tolerant citizens could be produced.For the first time in the country’s history, he said, seminaries, too, had agreed to make their students sit in the exams which were conducted by the boards of intermediate and secondary education.“This is a great success. Madressahs have agreed that their students will now appear in the board examinations for classes 8, 10 and 12,” he added.The National Curriculum Council (NCC) met after a gap of seven months with a slight change in the deadlines set for sharing the draft of an updated curriculum with the provinces.Prime Minister Imran Khan had ordered the establishment of the NCC in November 2018 and its first meeting was held in January 2019.Published in The Express Tribune, September 25, 2019.