Let's have a discussion on following question,

Evaluate the National Education Policy of 2009 by highlighting it's salient features. How can we improve the education standard of people of Pakistan?

Try to comment under following headings,

1. Basic theme of Education Policy
2. How it evolved - need for new policy
3. Comparison with old policy
4. Positive and negative sides of the policy
5. Impact
6. Difficulties in it's implication

Salient Features of NEP 2009:

Apart from due emphasis on governance issues and implementation framework,
some distinct features of the policy are mentioned as under:

A. Policy Actions to Improve Access and Equity in Education

i. Dakar EFA Goals and MDGs relating to Education shall be achieved
by 2015.

ii. Introduction of Early Childhood Education (3-5 years) and
encouraging inclusive and child-friendly education.

iii. Primary education official age shall be 6 to 10 years.

iv. Universal and Free Primary Education including all education related
costs

v. Equity in Education (gender, geographical Urban-Rural areas) shall
be promoted.

vi. Maximum age limit shall be waived off for recruitment of female
teachers.

vii. All Primary schools shall be upgraded to Middle level, where feasible.

viii. Well- developed plans for expanding school basic facilities shall be
prepared.

ix. Grades 11 and 12 shall not be part of the college education and
merged into the school education.

x. High priority shall be given to reduce drop out rates at all levels.

xi. Governments shall establish “Apna Ghar” residential schools in each
province to provide free high quality education facilities to poor
students.

xii. Every child, on admission in Grade I, shall be allotted a unique ID that
will continue throughout his or her academic career.

xiii. The definition of “free education” shall include all education related
costs.

xiv. Access will be extended by ensuring availability of TVE at district and
tehsil levels. Relevance to Labour Market shall be ensured.

xv. Enrolment in higher education sector shall be raised from existing 4.7
percent to 10 percent by 2015 and 15 percent by 2020.

B. Policy Actions to Improve Governance and Management in Education

i. Planning, Management and Implementation Capacity in education
sector at all levels shall be enhanced.

ii. Sector Planning in Education shall be promoted and each Provincial/
Area Education Department shall develop its sector/ sub-sector plan,
with facilitation and coordination at federal level.

iii. A system for donor harmonization for aid-effectiveness and improved
coordination between development partners and government shall be
developed.

iv. Fragmented governance of education at federal and provincial levels
including literacy shall be managed under one organization.

v. Separate academic & educational management cadres with specified
training and qualification requirements shall be introduced.

vi. In order to bridge Public-Private divide, governments shall take steps
to bring harmony through common standards, quality and regulatory
regimes.

vii. A common curriculum framework shall be applicable to both public &
private educational institutions.

viii. Deeni Madaris shall be mainstreamed by introducing contemporary
studies alongside the curricula of Deeni Madaris, to enhance
prospects of their students to pursue higher studies, research and
excellence and to ensure employment, recognition and equivalence
of their degrees.

ix. Minimum National Standards for educational inputs, processes and
outcomes shall be established.

x. The Governments shall commit to allocating 7% of GDP to education
by 2015 and necessary enactment shall be made for this purpose.

xi. Inter-Provincial Education Ministers’ (IPEM) forum shall be
institutionalized, with legal mandate to oversee implementation of
NEP and making amendments in it, when required.

C. Policy Actions to Improve Quality and Relevance of Education

i. A Bachelor’s degree, with a B.Ed. shall be the requirement for
teaching at the elementary level. PTC and CT shall be phased out
through encouraging the present set of teachers to improve their
qualifications, while new hiring shall be based on the advanced
criteria.

ii. Teacher training arrangements, accreditation and certification
procedures shall be standardised and institutionalised.

iii. Governments shall take steps to ensure that teacher recruitment,
professional development, promotions and postings are based on
merit alone. Waiver of maximum age limit for recruitment of female
teachers, wherever required.

iv. Curriculum development shall be objective driven and outcomebased.
The curriculum development and review process shall be
standardised and institutionalised.

v. Professional Councils like Pakistan Medical and Dental Council
(PM&DC) and Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) shall be involved
for relevant curriculum development.

vi. Use of Information Communication Technologies in Education shall
be promoted.

vii. Environmental education shall be made an integral part of education.

viii. Emerging trends and concepts such as School Health & School
Safety, Prevention Education against HIV/AIDS and other infectious
diseases, Life Skills Based Education, Population and Development
Education, Human Rights Education including gender equality,
School Safety and Disaster and Risk Management, Peace Education
and inter-faith harmony, detection and prevention of child abuse, etc
shall be infused in the curricula

ix. Curriculum Wing of Ministry of Education and provincial textbook
boards shall ensure elimination of all types of gender biases from
textbooks. Also adequate representation of females shall be ensured
in all curriculum and textbooks review committees.

x. A well regulated system of competitive publishing of textbooks and
learning materials shall be introduced.

xi. Federal and Provincial / Area Governments shall increase
investments in school libraries, provide supplementary reading
materials and teacher guides.

xii. Examinations systems shall be standardised to reduce differentials
across students appearing in different boards of examinations.

xiii. Basic standards for school facilities including playground shall be
established by 2012 to improve school environment.

xiv. To create an order for excellence in the country, a “National Merit
Programme” shall be introduced to award bright students.

xv. Career Counselling at secondary and higher secondary level shall be
initiated.

xvi. Matric-Tech stream shall be re-introduced and scheme of studies
revised accordingly.

xvii. A framework setting out the basic standards for school facilities and
teaching aid materials shall be established by 2012 and shall form the
basis for allocation of funds.

xviii. Sports activities shall be organized at the Secondary, Higher
Secondary, College and University levels and a system for monitoring
of sports and co-curricular/ extra-curricular activities shall be
established by all provincial and area governments.

xix. A special Cell shall be established in the Ministry of Education for this
purpose. Higher Education Commission will look after all such
activities at the Universities’ level.

xx. NEP 2009 puts special emphasis on skill development and provision
of quality Technical Vocational Education (TVE).

xxi. Matching with labour market, develop linkages with industry,
innovation and promotion of research and development (R&D) culture
are hall marks of NEP 2009 and make it distinct from previous
policies.

xxii. The policy proposes National Qualifications Framework (NQF) with a
changed program structure that encompasses all qualifications in the
country, both academic and vocational/technical.

xxiii. TVE Curriculum will be revised to meet new challenges. Private
sector will be encouraged to participate in promotion of skill
development.

xxiv. Investment on higher education shall be gradually increased to 20
percent of the education budget, on the assumption that the total
education budget grows to 7 percent of GDP by 2015

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"We overestimate next one or two years and we underestimate next ten years."