CADD unit to remain functional

Curriculum Development and Textbook Production Unit will continue its functioning under Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) till repealing of existing federal curriculum act.
Spokesman CADD Rafique Tahir told APP that the provinces were supposed to develop their own curriculum act after devolution of education ministry under 18th amendment of the constitution and the existing act would remain functional till the time to look after the affairs of curriculum development.
“CADD has not received any direction to hand over building of curriculum wing located in Sector H-9/3 to Islamabad Capital Territory Administration (ICTA)”, he said. All the provinces including Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit Baltistan and the areas including Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Federally Administered Tribal Areas have to come up with their own curriculums to replace the existing one.
Curriculum Development and Textbook Production Unit, earlier called as Curriculum Wing of Ministry of Education, is an asset for the whole country in term of curriculum development, Rafique Tahir said. This wing started revision of curriculum in 2006 and has developed 44 curriculums for the provinces so far.
He said CADD in coordination with provinces has developed 17 curriculums and recently forwarded to the provinces after publication, however, 10 more curriculums will be developed in the coming four months as provinces could not produced any curriculum so far, he said.
Curriculum Development and Textbook Production Unit of CADD is pursuing the national scheme of curriculum development with full commitment.
Joint Education Advisor Shams-ud-Din with his team members comprising four Deputy Education Advisors including Dr Tahir, Dr Saleem, Dr Mahlaka and T M Qureshi and other staff members are working in that unit for devising curriculums, he said. Estate Management Department of Federal Directorate of Education (FDE), which was earlier set up at a local college, was shifted to the curriculum unit where they are looking hiring affairs of around 10,000 teachers.
Rafique Tahir said a German organization GIZ is supporting for curriculum development since 2006 and some of their specialists are also working in the said unit who were disturbed when ICT officials tried to occupy the building few days back saying they have directions from high ups to take possession of the building.
He said that a building allotment committee comprising Secretaries of Cabinet, Housing, CADD and Establishment Division has powers to decide possession matters of any building and “CADD was neither taken on board regarding allotment of curriculum unit building nor it received any notification”.
It came into the knowledge of CADD officials that some meeting was held without CADD representation and decided to allot the building to ICTA as well as National Library of Pakistan according to the two serial numbers of the minutes of said meeting, he said.