ISLAMABAD: Minister for Education, Professional Training and National Heritage Shafqat Mahmood on Wednesday said that a new uniform national curriculum from grade 1 to 6 would be implemented by April 2021 with the efforts of all domestic stakeholders. He stated this while addressing a one day conference on “Yaksan Qoumi Nisab aur Hamara Nizam-e-Taleem” (Uniform National Curriculum and Our Educational System). IIUI President Ahmed Yousif Al-Draiweesh, Rector Prof. Dr. Masoom Yasinzai, senior faculty members and a large number of students were also present on the occasion. The minister said that thanked IIUI, IIRD for organizing a special conference on uniform national curriculum to create awareness about the efforts being underway. He said that it was our responsibility to create awareness about the uniform National curriculum. Mahmood said that it was also part of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Manifesto to introduce a uniform curriculum for all the students, adding that PTI believes that every child has equal rights and they must have the opportunities to grow in life. Under the current education system, he said the education standard for rich and poor was markedly different and distinct,” he said adding that English medium schools gave an edge to their students to grab key posts. The minister said that the parallel education system had dampened the abilities of the nation by graduating the students with different thinking patterns and capabilities. “Yet, there were other challenges, especially the language of new single curriculum,” he said. The minister said that a national conference would be organized on March 19 to resolve the issues related to the language of the uniform curriculum, adding that stakeholders would deliberate on various areas of the new curriculum and then the recommendations would be prepared. He said that all the stakeholders including Madaris and private institutions were also included in the preparation of a new uniform national curriculum. He said that there would need to train teachers for implementation of the new curriculum. The new curricula would be prepared in three phases as under phase-1 the curriculum from class 1 to 6 would be implemented by next year. Speaking the occasion, Rector IIUI Prof. Dr. Masoom Yasinzai highly praised the government for introducing a single National curriculum, adding that it will help in developing one thinking and one nation. He said that He said that today’s conference was also being attended by the students of religious seminaries. Dr. Khalid Rehman also highly praised the government initiative to introduce one uniform national curriculum for all the institutions. Earlier, President IIUI Ahmed Yousif Al-Draiweesh, Rector IIUI and senior faculty members warmly welcome the minister on arrival at the Faisal Mosque Campus.