Impact of National Curriculum of Pakistan (NCP) on the Secondary School Educational Quality in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abstract

Curriculum refers to the collection of programs that are intentionally designed and implemented in schools to foster students' personal development and behavioral changes. In 2013, the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) introduced various curriculum reforms to stay competitive on a global scale. This study aims to explore the National Curriculum of Pakistan (NCP) in depth and its impact on the quality of secondary education system in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa(KP). The research adopts a qualitative research approach and utilizes the case study method. The investigator examines several perspectives of novice curriculum reform in KP, firstly by focusing on implementation level of the National Curriculum of Pakistan (NCP) in public, private, and madrasa secondary schools across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and secondly the impact of the recommendations in National Curriculum of Pakistan on the quality of secondary education across Khyber Pakhtunkhw (KP), Pakistan. Data was gathered from public secondary school Heads, SSTs (Secondary School Teachers) of district Peshawar and Charsadda and Additional Secretory of Education Sector Reform Unit (ESRU) Peshawar. One to one interview with semi structured questions were used as the data collection tool, and thematic analysis was applied as the data analysis procedure. The study findings indicate significant improvements in the quality of secondary education particularly within public schools across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Although implementation level of National Curriculum of Pakistan (NCP) varies across different streams of education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, the successful implementation of the National Curriculum of Pakistan (NCP) across different streams of secondary education i.e public, private and madrassas schools facing a range of challenges. Among the most pressing obstacles are insufficient resources and the lack of effective in-service teacher training programs. To implement the National Curriculum of Pakistan (NCP) in its true spirit and with the necessary commitment, the provincial government of KP must address these issues. It can be hoped that National Curriculum of Pakistan will took one more decade to reach its anticipated goal of high quality secondary education throughout the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa KP, Pakistan.