LAHORE: Punjab’s Curriculum and Textbook Board (PCTB) is set to introduce an artificial intelligence course at primary level from grade 1-5, official sources revealed here.
To implement this initiative, an AI laboratory will be setup at primary schools to introduce a regular curriculum for students. To make the course successful, the Punjab government will appoint qualified educationists on a contract basis because there are no specialized people at government schools who can teach AI courses.
The officials said that at the initial stage, they were going to introduce AI as a separate subject into the primary school curriculum of Punjab, saying the second phase would consist of setting up modern science and AI labs to provide hands-on experiences to students.
They were of the view that government of Punjab would put together a plan B where basic AI classes be incorporated into science books already published, if there was any budgetary problems, they added. The govt’s proposal has received the green light for publication at its last board meeting and would be fully rolled out from 2027.
According to officials, the initiative, being pursued under the direction of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, seeks to introduce AI education from the primary level through dedicated AI laboratories equipped with modern computing facilities, interactive learning tools and age-appropriate educational software. The project is intended to familiarise children with artificial intelligence, coding, robotics and digital literacy at an early stage while promoting problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
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