National Internal Security Policy (NISP): Teacher Training Programme On Preventing Violent Extremism In Classrooms To Be Designed

The government, under its National Internal Security Policy (NISP), will design and implement a teacher training programme on preventing violent extremism in classrooms and campuses.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Jun, 2018 ) :The government, under its National Internal Security Policy (NISP), will design and implement a teacher training programme on preventing violent extremism in classrooms and campuses.

Teachers need to be trained on how to prevent growth of violent extremism under a programme which will be introduced in collaboration with provincial governments and development partners.

Highlighting reforms in education sector, the NISP-2018-23 document prepared by Ministry of Interior on Wednesday showed that efforts had been made in last five years to substantially improve provision of education in all federating units of the country and in particular, enrollments and retention rates had increased on an overall basis.

Much however, still needs to be done, especially with regards to education content and delivery, to build learners' resilience to violent extremism.

Some of the reforms will include that the government will continue to increase resource allocation on education to bring it at par with at least 4 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Additional funds will be used to bridge gap in standard of education between public and private institutions.

Moreover, minimum national standards will also be set for Madaris, public and private education sectors.

The document further showed that curriculum reforms would be one of the most important components of education system reforms as across the board curriculum reform in both mainstream institutions and madaris will be initiated to bring it in conformity with the new national narrative proposed above.

In collaboration with provinces, curriculum guidelines and standards will be developed to ensure that textbooks are free of hate content, racial, gender and regional stereotypes/prejudices, and glorification of war and violence.

Content on modern concept of citizenship which stresses commonalities among all people, irrespective of their backgrounds, and which derives its values from basic fundamental rights enriched in the constitution, will be developed.

In this regard, a review of curriculum of Pakistan Study and Islamic studies shall be prioritized.

The subjects of social studies and civic education shall be introduced as mandatory subjects at high school and college level.

These subjects will help students develop a basic understanding of different religions and social issues before they embark on path of specialization in their respective fields.

Furthermore, child safety education will be mandated at all schools to prevent child abuse and bullying while inter-province teacher and student exchange programmes will be introduced to promote social cohesion and harmony.

Access to education will be improved in rural areas and deprived regions of the country. In militancy-affected areas like tribal areas, physical infrastructure of schools destroyed by militants shall be laid.

Girls education shall be prioritized too, especially in areas where militants have threatened girls attending schools.

Career and general counselling units shall be created at all educational institutions to provide much-needed guidance and mentorship to students.

Debating societies will be established at educational institutions to help students develop critical thinking skills and reconcile difference of opinion.

The ultimate purpose of such activities will be creation of safe spaces for students at university campuses.

Higher Education Commission (HEC) will devise guidelines for implementation of interventions that fall in their domain.

Furthermore, it will he mandated with ensuring continuedimprovements in quality of research increasing number of worldclassresearch institutions in the country. aa