PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is planning to use AI-powered virtual teachers to help students in schools where qualified teachers are not available. The initiative is part of the provincial government’s new digital education plan.
Under the Parho Khyber Pakhtunkhwa project, the government plans to digitize the provincial curriculum, provide lessons through mobile phones and introduce virtual classrooms, AI-based learning and online science laboratories.
One of the main features is the use of AI-powered “human clones” virtual versions of real teachers created using their faces and voices. A virtual clone of a teacher from Peshawar has already been developed. Officials say these virtual teachers can teach subjects including Physics, Mathematics and Urdu.
The system is expected to cover around 2,900 curriculum modules for grades 6 to 12. Students will also be able to ask questions and receive answers from the virtual instructors. The project mainly aims to address teacher shortages in remote areas, including Bajaur, North Waziristan, South Waziristan and Bannu, where schools particularly lack science teachers.
Under the pilot programme, selected schools have been equipped with screens, cameras, microphones, internet connections and sound systems. Lessons will be delivered from a virtual school in Gulbahar, Peshawar.
The government plans to invest Rs5 billion in the project and estimates that it could save more than Rs100 billion annually. It also plans to make lessons available on smartphones and through an online learning management system, with some content accessible offline.
However, teachers’ representatives have raised concerns about the plan. The Young Teachers Association said many areas still lack reliable internet and basic school facilities. It questioned whether virtual classrooms can work effectively in such conditions. The government says the digital education plan is aimed at improving access to learning, particularly for students in areas where finding qualified teachers remains a major challenge.
