5.3. A NEW EDUCATIONAL POLICY (1969)

Following the end of Ayub Regime, a New Education Policy for Pakistan was proposed in June 1969. Although the Policy could not be implemented in the country it did two things. One. it was a declaration, at the Government level, to the fact that there was "something basically wrong with our education system", which the previous policies based on the report of the Commission on National Education (1959) had failed to mend. Second, it paved the path for the formulation of the Education Policy (1972-80).

Aims of the New Policy

The new educational policy had the following aims:

• That all children should have the opportunity of receiving elementary education upto the age of 13 years, comprising 5 years of primary school education in classes I to V (from the age of 5 to 10 years) and 3 years of middle school education in classes VI to VIII (from the age of 10-13 years).
• That the above goal should be achieved by 1980.
• That, in the primary school, there should be emphasis on the teaching of 4 "Rs." Reading. Writing. Arithmetic and Religion. The medium of instruction at the primary stage should be the mother tongue of the child. Every primary school should have interesting models, charts and other visual aids to make education interesting and exciting.
• That there should be no examination in the first two classes. Promotions up to class II should be automatic. There should, however, be an objective test or examination at the end of class III but not child should be failed. The final examination should be at the terminal stage of the primary school in class V.
• That, at the middle stage, after class VI, practical lessons in some vocation based on material locally available like clay, wood, straw, bamboo, cloth, paper, etc. should be compulsory so that the aptitude of children begins to develop.
• That the Arabic numerals 1,2,3,.......10 which are a heritage left by Muslim Mathematicians to us, should be adopted throughout the country at all educational levels. If we cannot have one national language, let us at least have one set of numerals.
• The children up to the elementary stage of education should learn to salute and respect the national flag and sing the national anthem. For this purpose it is necessary to recompose the Anthem in simple words which are common to Bengali and Urdu without altering the tune which has become familiar to millions at home and abroad.
• That after the elementary education stage, there should be two broad streams, one for general and the other for vocational and technical education. On the basis of national aptitude test of all children at the end of class VIII, when they reach the age of + 13 years, those found fit for academic education should go into the general stream and the others in the vocational system. The vocational stream will have two sub-streams one for farming and agriculture and other for crafts and industry. Nearly 60% of those going into the vocation stream will be diverted into farm schools and colleges and the balance of 40% into vocational and technical schools and colleges.
• That those who go into the general stream can do their Matric, Inter, B.A./B.Sc, M.A/M.Sc, and LL.B. etc. Similarly those who go into the vocational stream can do the Matric (Tech.), Inter (Tech.); and B. (Tech.) in a particular vocation like Agriculture and Farming. Printing. Plumbing, Electronics, Engineering, Metal or Wood Working, Tailoring, Hair-dressing, Food Technology. Fi-bre Technology, etc. The award of a high school certificate, intermediate diploma and bachelor's degree in vocations and technologies parallel to those available to students in the general stream will give prestige and a status symbol, which is at present denied to the technicians.
• That for higher professional university degree in medicine, agriculture or engineering the students from the general stream be eligible after Inter Science and those from the vocational stream after Inter Technical.
• That all the existing polytechnics should be converted into colleges of technology or. technical colleges with one terminal point after 2 years for inter Tech. and the last terminal point after 1 year for B. Tech.

That all general high schools, inter colleges and universities should introduce subject like Business Administration and Management, Banking, Insurance, Commerce, Accountancy, Typing and Stenography, Advertising, Commercial Arts, etc.