Islamabad, In a significant meeting, the Federal Minister lauded the efforts of Shehzad Roy, a prominent figure in education reform in Pakistan, particularly for his work on integrating child protection into Sindh’s provincial curriculum. The Minister acknowledged Roy’s influential role in prompting the Sindh Government to adopt new teacher evaluation formats and the National Assembly’s legislation criminalizing corporal punishment.
According to Press Information Department, Shehzad Roy briefed the Minister on the objectives and contributions of Zindagi Trust, which he represents. Roy discussed the Trust’s initiatives to make education accessible to all children in Pakistan, with a focus on Sindh. He presented a proposal to the Minister for the development and implementation of special elective courses in public schools in Islamabad, including chess, liberal arts, and music.
The Minister instructed the National Curriculum Council (NCC) to collaborate with Zindagi Trust to develop a curriculum focused on chess and musical instruments for students from grade 3 to grade 8, with plans to extend it to grades 9 and 10. The Minister emphasized the importance of formally teaching and encouraging extracurricular activities in public schools. He instructed the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) to regularly organize sports events, debates, and other activities in all FDE schools and colleges.
Roy highlighted Zindagi Trust’s initiatives in art education, including the creation of designated art rooms in schools and the development of a comprehensive Art Curriculum for government schools across Pakistan. He also detailed the chess program initiated by Zindagi Trust in 2011, led by FEDA certified master chess player Shehzad Mirza. The program has achieved notable success, with Zindagi Trust students winning local and national championships and alumni supporting chess programs in other schools.
The chess curriculum, developed after extensive consultation and consideration of the cognitive stages of children, aims to enhance students’ strategic thinking, decision-making, and problem-solving skills. It also integrates with mathematics, fostering spatial reasoning and analytical abilities.
The Minister praised this initiative and announced plans to officially launch it in December. He requested the NCC to promptly present the elective course for implementation by the FDE within the year. He reiterated his commitment to reforming the public education sector, aiming to lay a foundation for future governments to build a better Pakistan for future generations.