Commission on National Education, 1959

Introduction:
Commission on National Education, 1959 known as the Sharif Commission after its chairman S.M
Sharif. Apart from the Chairman, there were ten other members:

 Raziuddin Siddiqui (Member, Atomic Energy Commission of Pakistan);

 Col. MK Afridi (Vice-chancellor, Peshawar University);
 B.A Hashmi (Vice-chancellor, Karachi University);
 MOMTAZ UDDIN AHMED (Vice-chancellor, Rajshahi University);
 AFM Abdul Haq (President, Board of Secondary Education, Dhaka)
 AF A Husain (Professor, Dhaka University);
 A Rashid (Principal, Engineering College, Dhaka);
 RM Ewing (Foreman, Christian College, Lahore);
 Col. Mohammad Khan (Director of Army Education) -
 Brig. S Hamid Shah (Director ofOrganisation. GHQ).

The Commission on National Education was appointed by a resolution adopted by the government
on 30"‘ December, 1958. The main reason was that the existing system of education was not adequate
to meet the requirements of the nation. It was inaugurated by the President, Mohammad Ayub Khan on
January 5, 1959. Addressing on the occasion the President stressed the need for a reorganization and re-
orientation of the existing education system, which would better reflect our spiritual, moral and cultural
values and to meet the challenges of the growing needs of the nation in the field of science and
technology. The Commission analyzed all the previous reports and the prevailing situations of the
country and the reforms movements in other societies and submitted and comprehensive report to the
Government after one year 1960.

Objectives:
The commission on national education outlined the following objectives of our f in educational
system

1. Training of manpower, educated citizen and competent leadership required for the country.

2. To meet the individual and collective need and aspirations of the people of the country.

3. To provide individuals full opportunities to develop their skills and for development of all the

vocational abilities needed for the creation of a progressive and democrative socity.

4. Preservations of the ideas which led to the creation of Pakistan and strengthening the concept of it
with the unified nation.

5. To create a sense of unity and of nationhood among the people of Pakistan

6. Creation of a social welfare state i

7. Training of leadership group in engineering the skills of government and commercial development ,

8. Training of scientist engineers, and technicians

9. Availability of the benefit and opportunities of education to all citizens of Pakistan

10. Development of intellectual abilities and building of the character of the individuals

11. To create among the people a sense of dignity of labour.

12. To inculcate spiritual and moral values.

Primary Education

1. In the view of the Commission, compulsory education at elementary level was indispensable for
skilled manpower and intelligent citizenry. For this purpose at least eight years schooling was required.
The Commission recommended achieving 5- year compulsory schooling within the period of 10-years
and 8-years compulsory schooling within a total period 15 years.

2. The main objective of primary education should be to make a child functionally literate, to develop all
aspects of his personality, to equip him with basic knowledge and skills and to develop in him habits of
industry, integrity and curiosity.

3. The curriculum should be adapted to the mental abilities of the children. It must be designed to
develop basic skills. Teaching methods should be activity-oriented. Religious education should be made
compulsory and due emphasis should be givento teaching of national language. .

4. School buildings and furniture should be simple, inexpensive, and clean and adapted to local style and
material.

5. Training facilities should be provided to teachers to meet the requirements of compulsory primary
education. Refreshers courses should also be arranged for un-trained teachers.

6. The Commission recommended that land, building, fumiture, teaching materials and residential
accommodation for teachers should be provided by the community and the Government may however,
give financial assistance to the backward areas.

7. The administrative recommendations by the commission should be entrusted to local bodies. It

should be organised on district level in West Pakistanand on sub-division level in East Pakistan.
 Secondary Education

Objectives of Secondary Education:

1. Secondary education should be recognized as a complete stage in itself and organized as a separate
academic and administrative unit, demarcated clearly in all respects from University education.

2. Secondary education should bring about the full development of the child (a) as an individual, (b) as a
citizen, (c) as a worker, and (d) as a patriot enable him to understand and enjoy the benefits of social
progress, scientific discovery and invention, and to participate in economically useful activities.

Duration of Secondary school:

Secondary education should properly consist of classes IX to XII but until compulsory education
was extended to the first eight years classes VII to VIII should be considered a part of secondary
education. It will therefore, for the present be divided into three stages: classes VI to VIII (middle)
classes IX-X (secondary) and classes XI-XII (higher secondary Education).

Curriculum:
The curriculum at the secondary stage mustbe based on two principles. First, it must provide a
compulsory core of subjects such as mathematics, science, the national languages, English etc.., to give
every pupil the knowledge he needs to live a useful and happy life. Secondly, it should provide
opportunities for students to take up, in accordance with their aptitudes and interests, a few elective
subjects in the fields of technical agricultural and commercial studies to prepare them for a definite
vocational career.

Every child should acquire a preliminary understanding of some 10 to 12 subjects by the time has
completed high schools.

Evaluation and Examination:

The system of examination should be organized and the award of certificates based on the
performance of the students in the public examination conducted by the Universities/Boards of
secondary Education (75% of the total marks) School record, including the results of habits and general
behaviour 25% For private candidates, separate examinations, called External Examinations, should be
held.

Commercially Operated schools:

Every school should be registered and provided adequate facilities in respect of teachers,
buildings and equipment.
Finance:
The cost ofrunning a secondary school has risen 3 to 4 times during the last 30 years while fees,
grants, and private donations have remained practically the same. The income of a school:

1. Fees

2. The contribution of the management

3. The grant from government

The appropriate proportions would be approximately 60% from fees, 20% from the
management and 20% from government. Schools maintaining better standards in equipment and staff
should be regarded As "special schools" and their grants fixed on a separate basis. Residential schools
should be given financial support to enable them to reduce their fees. They should be treated as "special
schools” for thepurpose of grants. Talented and poor students should receive scholarship.

A program for Development:

Rehabilitation of secondary schools will require enormous funds. The educational authorities
should, therefore, set the immediate target for developing one-halfof the existing schools. Some of the
schools should be developed into better type schools. The value of schools ofthe residential type ‘should
be recognized and every encouragement given to their development.

Teacher Training:
The commission was of the view that teachers must be trained properly before entering
teaching profession. Teachers should be paid adequate salary. Teachers from class VI—X should work
for 225 days during the year (excluding vacations). The services of Education Extension Centers already
established to improve the quality of education, should be fully utilized by the Central and Provincial
Government.

Organization:
The Commission maintained that regulation, control and development of education at
secondary and higher secondary levels (classes IX—XIl) should be entrusted to the boards of Secondary
Education. The territorial jurisdiction of the Boards should follow the jurisdiction of various universities
in the country. New Boards should be set up at Peshawar, Hyderabad, and Rajshahi and the jurisdiction
of the Boards at Karachi and Dacca, should be extended to include higher secondary (intemediate)
satge.

Facilities and equipments:

The commission maintained that effort should be made by educational authorities and
community to provide facilities like classrooms, science labs, workshops, libraries, garden plots,
playgrounds and equipments to achieve the objectives of diversified multipurpose secondary school in
future.
 Higher Education

Higher education as a distinct stage:

As envisaged in the Report of the Commission, higher education should be recognized as a
distinct satge and the present intermediate classes should be transferred from the jurisdiction of the
university to Board of Secondary Education, the essence ofHigher Education as viewed by the
Commission, was a community of scholarship. The essentials were not only to set examinations, nor the
degree it conferred, but its capacity to encourage teachers and scholars to engage themselves in
research and to pass on to the next generations the result of their studies.

Duration of courses:
In order to improve the standard at university level, bachelor degree courses should be
extended from two to three years. There should be two types of courses at degree level; the pass course
and the honor course. The course leading to degree of MA, M.Sc. should require at least two years in
one subject. The period recommended for PhD is minimum two years and maximum five years.

Admission:
Admission to the degree colleges and universities should be after the completion of the present
intermediate satge covering twelve years of schooling. The universities and colleges should determine
their own requirements of admission on the basis of:

1. The Students pertormance in higher secondary education.

2. Achievement and accumulative class record during the previous satge ot education.

3. Aptitude for higher education to be determined scientifically by standardized tests. »

Subject of study:
The Commission recommended that courses and curricula should be revised and improves
periodically, so as to make them updated and to provide for growing needs of country, particularly in
the specific areas of science and technology. New subjects like sociology, home economics, public and
business administration, journalism etc should be introduced in universities.

Examinations:
The Commission area of the view that the system of examinations has been criticized for
dominating higher education. The Commission recommended that the system should be reorganized
and the award of degree should be based on the performance of the students in final examination
conducted by the university,(75 percent marks) and record in the periodical test as well as class work (25
percent marks). Students should obtain pass marks in both assessments. Pass marks should be fixed 40.0
% in each paper and 50.0 in aggregate. For second division marks should be 60.0 % andfor first division
70.0 % ofthe total marks.

Research in the university:

Research was thought one of the essential features of the university education. Not only it was
of national importance in the developing economy but it also had a further value as a mean of keeping a
teacher active, creative and updated and for enabling him to stimulate and inspire his students. The
Commission therefore recommended building up strong departments in which both teaching and
research would have prominence. The Commission further recommended that each university should
set-up a ‘Committee of Advanced Studies’ to supervise and coordinate the research work in the
universities Fundamental research should be given priority. .

Other recommendations:
Other recommendations in the field of higher education, forwarded by Commission, related to
the function of teachers in a university, the selection and promotion of teachers, co-ordination of higher
education, students welfare a discipline. A program of guidance and counseling was also recommended
Commission to be organized in the universities.

Technical and Vocational Education:

1. Technical education should be an integral part of the educational system.

2. Polytechnics and technical institutes should be established to produce technical personal of the
supervisory cadre in variety of areas.

References
 Shahid S.M, History and Philosophy of Education.
 Iqbal pervaiz, Introduction to Education.
 Shahid S.M, Education Planning and Development.
 Government of Pakistan of Ministry of Education, Report on Commission on

National Education 1959.