Punjab plans lighter textbooks and QR code lessons for primary classes

The Punjab government plans to replace the curriculum for early childhood education through Grade V from April next year with textbooks 25 per cent lighter, QR codes printed in the books and a shift towards digital and conceptual learning.

The revised curriculum has been prepared by the Punjab Education Curriculum, Training and Assessment Authority (PECTAA) and sent to Cambridge International Education for assessment and comparison with international standards, according to ProPakistani, which reported the plan after an education reforms meeting.

A senior PECTAA official said the final content is expected to be ready in December, with printing of the revised books to begin in January. The books are to reach schools before the new academic session starts in April.

Each textbook will carry QR codes that students can scan on a digital device to reach video lessons on the topic covered in the book. The government expects the codes to make classroom learning more interactive by pairing reading material with audiovisual explanations, and to give children a way to revise lessons at home at their own pace. Mathematics and science topics are among those the demonstrations are meant to make easier to follow.

The stated aim is to reduce the academic load on young children, who are routinely required to bring textbooks, notebooks, workbooks and extra material to school. In many private schools in Lahore and other cities, the load goes beyond prescribed books to grammar and mathematics practice books, general knowledge and computer science books and activity workbooks. Schools often add supplementary courses without withdrawing existing material.

Educationists told ProPakistani that the benefit will depend on whether schools also review supplementary reading lists, homework policies and examination practice. Cutting pages from prescribed textbooks will not by itself ease pressure on children if schools keep adding books and practice material, they said. The government will need to make sure public and private schools follow the revised curriculum without widening the workload.

Daily Ausaf reported the plan as aimed at cutting the weight of schoolbags by 25 per cent.