Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals: Single National Curriculum in IRM SMART Schools
Education is the key to social harmony and civilization. Nelson Mandela says, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”. Sustainable Development Goal 4 also aims to ensure an education that is inclusive and equitable, promoting lifelong learning for all. However, in Pakistan, one of the most attention-demanding sectors of Pakistan is Education. The Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement (PSLM) survey 2019-20 shows that the literacy rate among children has stagnated to 60%, and projects declining trends in literacy rate in the Sindh region. Moreover, UNICEF estimates that 22.8 million children in Pakistan aged between 5-16 years are out-of-school (OOSC), ranking as the world’s second-highest country. This rate is backed by disparities based on gender, socioeconomic factors, and geographic locations. Statistics show that about 52% of children in Sindh who are out-of-school belong to the poorest socio-economic stratum. Key obstacles to edu