National Curriculum Revision Committee (NCRC) Process
Under Section 3, Sub-section (1) of the Federal Supervision of Curricula Textbooks and Maintenance of Standards of Education Act 1976, the Government of Pakistan has appointed the HEC to oversee curriculum revision.
The curriculum revision work relates to Class XII at the bachelor's level and onwards regarding all degrees, certificates and diplomas awarded by institutions of higher education. The HEC may at any time choose to advise the chancellor of an institution on its statutes and regulations.
Based on the decision of the 44th Vice-Chancellors Committee to review the curriculum of each subject every three years, the HEC regularly collaborates with universities on curriculum revision.
To facilitate these changes, committees comprising senior academics nominated by the universities are established at the national level. If required, teachers from local degree colleges and experts from user organizations can also be included in the committees.
Steps Involved in Curriculum Review/Revision Process
The curriculum review and revision process has been divided in two phases:
PHASE - I: Curricula under consideration
PHASE - II: Circulation of the draft curriculum
Details of steps involved in the said process under each phase is as follows:
PHASE – I: Curricula under consideration
Step – I: Constitution of NCRC in the subject
The Vice Chancellors of all public and private sector universities, R&D organizations, Directorate of colleges and industries in relation to the subject under consideration, requested to nominate their representatives, for appointment as member of National Curriculum Review Committee (NCRC).
Step –II: Assessment/Analysis of the existing curriculum
The existing curricula are circulated amongst the members of NCRC to discuss it with their colleagues and bring collective proposals for review and revision of existing curricula in relation to:
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Learning Outcomes (of teaching the subject)
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Scheme of studies
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Course-content
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Weightage
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Reading materials
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Teaching strategies
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Methods of evaluation.
In this way participation of maximum number of subject experts is ensured.
Step – III: NCRC Meeting-I: Draft Preparation
The first meeting of the NCRC is organized at the HEC Headquarter Islamabad or one of its Regional Centers at Peshawar, Lahore and Karachi. During this meeting maximum local input could be made available in the exercise of revising a curriculum. Universities at different places may also be chosen to serve the purpose. The meeting which normally runs for three consecutive days comes up with a draft of the revised curricula, after detailed discussion and deliberation on the proposals prepared by the NCRC members.
PHASE – II: Circulation of the Draft Curriculum
Step – I: Appraisal of the first draft
The first draft prepared is circulated amongst the local as well expatriate Pakistani experts, universities, institutions and organization soliciting their views for its further improvement. The view/recommendations collected on the first draft curriculum were deliberated upon to design and finalize the curriculum of specific subject of study in a final meeting.
Step – II: NCRC meeting-II - Finalization of draft
The second meeting of the NCRC is held to finalize the draft of the revised curriculum in the light of comments/suggestions/ recommendations received from the college and university teachers and institutions all over the country. The meeting would again take three days to finalize curriculum. The draft, so finalized, has expertise of all faculty members of the subject under consideration, who are directly or indirectly involved in this process.
Implementation
The curricula designed is printed and sent to universities/institutions for its adoption/implementation after the approval of the Competent Authority.
