A meeting on education reforms in Punjab, chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, has approved several changes to school curriculum, seeking to reduce the volume of textbooks by 25%, introduce artificial intelligence education from Class I to XII and attach QR codes to books to give students access to video lessons.
Additionally, per Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, work would also be done on teachers’ mental health training, online counseling for children, and the elimination of corporal punishment in schools.
During the meeting, officials said the ultimate goal was to shift learning away from rote memorization and toward concept-based and technology-assisted learning.
The new curriculum proposed by the government would cover several subjects, including English, Mathematics, Urdu, Social Studies and Early Childhood Education. According to a Punjab Education Curriculum, Training and Assessment Authority briefing to the meeting, the curriculum aims to promote deeper learning, higher order thinking and innovation rather than merely revising textbook content.
The proposed QR codes, per the government, could provide children an additional learning resource outside conventional classroom teaching, particularly where teachers have limited time to explain difficult concepts. However, it remains unclear how the government hopes to tackle access to smartphones or other devices and internet connectivity.
The proposed A.I. curriculum, meanwhile, aims to expose children to A.I. concepts from the earliest years of schooling. The government hopes to complete printing of textbooks with the new curriculum before March.