Review of Primary Level Curriculum for Children with Visual Impairment formulated by Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board, Lahore-Pakistan

Abstract

Purpose: Although Single National Curriculum (SNC) is implemented in all over the country from April 2021 at primary level as per commitment of the ruling party in Pakistan. However, the pre-existing and implemented curriculum formulated by Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board is still followed in special education institutions of Punjab because preparation process is still going on for the implementation of SNC in these institutions.  The academic capability of Children with Visual Impairment (CWVI) is usually considered as that of non-disabled students due to their good cognitive skills. Directorate of Special Education Punjab adopted the same curriculum for CWVI. This study is an effort to identify the standards, benchmarks and student learning outcomes (SLOs) which are difficult to accomplish for CWVI. Methodology: It was a descriptive qualitative study by nature and curriculum review/document analysis technique was applied to study the implemented and existing curriculum. The complete curriculum of six key learning areas at pre-primary level proposed by implemented curriculum are as follows; personal and social development, language and literacy, basic mathematical concepts, the world around us, health, hygiene and safety and creative arts. Similarly existing curriculum offers following subjects at primary level; Islamiat/ Ethics and morality, Urdu, English, Maths, Science, General Knowledge and Social Studies. The data were retrieved from the website of Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board. Collected information was coded; major themes were derived and interpreted. Findings: Results revealed that a large number of standards, benchmarks and student learning outcomes (SLOs) were easy to accomplish for CWVI as non-disabled children but many standards, benchmarks and SLOs were not easy to accomplish for CWVI due to their visual limitations and lack of sufficient need-based support. Implications: Proper adaptations, modifications and accommodations can be made for CWVI specially to attain the geometry, science and geography related standards, benchmarks and SLOs including adaptations proposed by Directorate General of Special Education Punjab. Pictorial representations and visual tasks can be substituted with some other learning tasks for CWVI.