Stakeholders review ministry’s Character Education Initiative

Islamabad:A meeting chaired by education secretary Mohyuddin Wani Ahmad Wani reviewed the implementation of the ministry's Character Education Initiative.

The participants included chairman of the National ‘Rahmatul Lil Aalameen Wa Khatamun Nabiyyin’ Authority Khurshid Nadeem, head of the Character Education Foundation Mahmood Ahmad, directors of the Federal Directorate of Education, and the IBCC director.

The ‘Character Education Initiative’, launched in Islamabad in August, focuses on embedding essential values like civic responsibility, honesty, fairness, decision-making, patience, and planning into the education system.

During the meeting, NRKNA director Suhail Bin Aziz presented a detailed briefing on the implementation process and highlighted key achievements, including the development of 15 booklets on various themes and the production of nine animated training videos for teacher training.

Multiple sessions with head-teachers, teachers, and students have also been conducted, ensuring robust engagement. Plans are in the works to digitise the material for broader dissemination.

FDE director Riffat Jabeen elaborated on the steps taken at the school level to embed character education into the curriculum. She said Islamabad’s public schools had been provided with specific guidelines to integrate the themes meaningfully.

"These efforts aim to create a lasting impact on students’ moral and ethical development." Secretary Mohyuddin Wani said schools should utilise the zero hour for focused activities on character education.

He said engaging children in interactive and creative activities was crucial for instilling these values effectively. To ensure successful implementation, it was decided that a monitoring team would conduct on-ground evaluations, offering valuable insights for further improvements.

The initiative is expected to yield significant short-term outcomes, including improved student behaviour, enhanced classroom environments, and increased student engagement. In the long-term, the programme aims to develop responsible, ethical, and compassionate citizens of Pakistan, who will contribute to a society rooted in values of integrity, fairness, and civic responsibility.

CEF chairman Mahmood Ahmad pledged support for the initiative, which, he said, is aligned with the broader goals of character education. NRKNA chief Khurshid Nadeem reaffirmed his commitment to advancing the initiative in line with the authority’s mandate.

The participants vowed to make the Character Education Initiative a cornerstone of national education, ensuring the holistic development of students and fostering a generation rooted in ethical and civic values.