LAHORE: The Punjab government has declared that the board examinations for Class 8 will be held, thus officially bringing them back into the examination schedule for March 2026, and thereby ending a period of four years during which no such examinations took place.
As per the statement of Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat Khan, the Punjab Examination Commission and Assessment Authority (PECTA) has already been informed of the examination schedule. He has shared that the board exams under the aegis of the PECTA will commence on March 5, 2026.
Additionally, he gave a guarantee that all the arrangements have been done and the exams would be conducted uniformly province-wide to ensure the two factors of transparency and standardization would be achieved.
They have PECTA officials promised that all District Education Authorities have appointed focal persons who will be responsible for ensuring the exams are well coordinated and smoothly conducted.
The provincial government’s goal through this announcement is to fortify the assessment system and resuscitate the middle school level all with the standard testing practice.
AI and robotics education introduced in public schools
The Punjab government has declared the launch of intelligence (AI) and robotics courses, in public schools. State-of-the-art laboratories are being established throughout the province to offer experience in these advanced technologies.
Students attending government schools won’t be confined to textbooks anymore. They will get the chance to construct robots explore programming and acquire hands-on experience, with AI applications.
After the conclusion of pilot programs, in certain schools the government has chosen to extend the project across the province setting up advanced laboratories to support students all over Punjab.
As stated by the Punjab Education Department these AI and robotics laboratories will be essential in nurturing creativity enhancing problem-solving abilities and enabling the hands-on use of technology for students.
Maryam Fatima, Master Trainer at the STEM Lab, said, “The goal of this program is to equip students with modern skills that are essential for future career opportunities. We want children not only to use technology but also to be capable of creating it themselves.”
