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.
A reduction in the weight of the school bag was overdue in the backdrop of application of modern technology in the learning process. The burden was becoming unbearable for children and therefore, the target of the Punjab Government to reduce it by one-fourth is laudable but there was a need to bring it down further by restricting the wasteful use of notebooks and stationery items, which parents and students are forced to buy because of commercial interests of schools. Use of notebooks and stationery became excessive when we discarded slate and takhti and its reversal has become a must due to adoption of technology in the class-room. According to details presented at a meeting of the provincial government, the new curriculum would cover subjects including English, mathematics, Urdu, social studies and early childhood education. 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. The QR code for textbooks is already in vogue in some private schools and its introduction in public institutions could provide children with an additional learning resource outside conventional classroom teaching, particularly where teachers had limited time to explain difficult concepts. 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. It has also been agreed in principle on legislation aimed at eliminating corporal punishment in schools. In a welcome development, the government has 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. This is important in view of the fact that a large number of teachers lack required skills to communicate effectively with their pupils. The visionary reforms, if implemented in letter and in spirit, could lay foundations of a strong educational system in the province and serve as a model for other provinces to benefit from.
