Punjab approves new curriculum, promises lighter schoolbags and AI education from Class I

LAHORE:

The Punjab government on Thursday approved a major overhaul of the school curriculum while promising to reduce the volume of textbooks by 25%, introduce artificial intelligence (AI) education from Class I to XII and attach QR codes to textbooks to give students access to video lessons.

The Punjab government also proposed new measures to address corporal punishment and student mental health.

According to details, the decisions were taken at a special meeting on education reforms chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif amid a wider attempt by the provincial government to shift classroom teaching away from rote memorisation towards concept-based and technology-assisted learning.

According to details presented at the meeting, the new curriculum would cover subjects including English, mathematics, Urdu, social studies and early childhood education. The Punjab Education Curriculum, Training and Assessment Authority (PECTAA), the provincial body responsible for curriculum, teacher training and assessment, briefed the meeting on the proposed changes. PECTAA described its curriculum mandate as promoting deeper learning, higher-order thinking and innovation rather than merely revising textbook content.

Read: Punjab approves new primary curriculum

One of the most visible changes would be an attempt to reduce the amount of material students had to carry and study. The government said textbook volume would be cut by 25% with the stated objective of discouraging rote learning and allowing greater emphasis on understanding concepts.

However, the implementation of the reduction would be crucial. A smaller textbook did not automatically mean a lighter academic workload if examination requirements, homework and classroom assessments continued to demand the same volume of preparation. The government would therefore face the challenge of ensuring that curriculum reduction was reflected in teaching and assessment practices rather than remaining limited to the physical size of books.

According to an official of the Punjab education ministry, the new textbooks are also planned to contain QR codes that students could scan to access video lessons related to the relevant topic. The move could provide children with an additional learning resource outside conventional classroom teaching, particularly where teachers had limited time to explain difficult concepts. The effectiveness of the system, however, would depend on access to smartphones or other devices, internet connectivity and the availability of quality digital material in schools and homes.

Another major component was the proposed introduction of AI education from Class I through Class XII. The chief minister directed officials to prepare an AI curriculum and also stressed the need for laboratories alongside the new subject.

Read More: Punjab AI curriculum ready

The proposal represents a substantial expansion of technology education because it envisages exposing children to AI concepts from the earliest years of schooling rather than restricting advanced digital learning to secondary or higher education. Officials would nevertheless have to determine how AI content was differentiated according to age, how teachers would be trained, and what infrastructure would be required before the programme could operate effectively across Punjab’s government schools.

The government has set a deadline to complete printing of the new textbooks before March in the coming year and has been putting pressure on the education authorities to complete curriculum development, review, production and distribution within a relatively tight schedule.

The reform package also moves beyond academic content, as for the first time in Punjab the government has decided to initiate mental health training for teachers. A proposal to place visiting faculty psychologists in every district was also considered, while the chief minister directed authorities to develop online counselling facilities for students.

The measures indicate an attempt to address behavioural and emotional issues within schools through counselling and trained personnel rather than relying primarily on punishment. Yet the proposed psychologist model would require sufficient professional staff, clear referral mechanisms and confidentiality safeguards if counselling was to become a meaningful service rather than another formal school initiative.

The meeting also agreed in principle on legislation aimed at eliminating corporal punishment in schools. A proposal was discussed to establish “discipline corners” in classrooms as an alternative to physical punishment. The chief minister said physical violence against children could leave lasting effects on their lives.

The government also agreed to dedicate one day every week to teacher training. Under the proposed model, authors of the new textbooks would themselves train teachers in their use, potentially creating a direct link between curriculum design and classroom delivery.

The decision came as PECTAA was already handling curriculum, training, assessment and oversight functions under the provincial education system. Its official material lists existing textbooks and revised curricula across multiple grades and subjects, showing that the new programme would have to operate alongside a sizeable existing academic and administrative framework.

The government said progress had already been made in English language training, with 35,000 teachers in 31 tehsils across 12 districts completing the programme.

Maryam said that she wanted government schools to develop into a strong educational model and stressed that primary education should receive particular attention because weaknesses at the foundation level could affect learning in later grades.

The government also framed increased digital literacy as a priority, but the scale of Punjab’s public school system means that the success of the reforms would ultimately depend on execution, such as timely textbook printing, teacher preparation, functioning laboratories, digital access, quality control of QR-linked lessons, counselling capacity and consistent enforcement of the proposed ban on corporal punishment.

The new curriculum therefore represents more than a change in textbooks. Its real test would be whether the promised shift from memorisation to understanding, punishment to counselling and conventional teaching to technology-supported learning could be translated into everyday classroom practice across Punjab.