Punjab finalises school AI curriculum within 60-day deadline

LAHORE: The Punjab Education Curriculum Training and Assessment Authority (PECTAA) has completed a comprehensive artificial intelligence curriculum within the 60-day period set by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, according to officials.

The first draft of the curriculum was presented by PECTAA Chief Executive Officer Muhammad Musa Ali Bokhari to the provincial school education minister and the parliamentary secretary, the officials said familar with the matter.

According to officials, the framework has been prepared to help students develop key digital skills from an early stage of their education. They said the curriculum covers a wide range of subjects, beginning with basic computing concepts and extending to more advanced areas such as data science, machine learning, robotics and ethical AI.

Officials said the curriculum has been arranged through a progressive and age-appropriate structure aimed at ensuring students are not limited to using technology, but are also able to create, innovate and take leadership roles in a fast-changing digital environment.

They said the framework places particular focus on ethics, governance, problem-solving, creativity and responsible digital citizenship. According to the officials, this approach is intended to prepare students in Punjab to deal with both the opportunities and the challenges linked to the AI era with confidence and integrity.

Officials further said that AI education is increasingly being introduced at school level in different parts of the world, and that the Punjab government’s move reflects an effort to remain aligned with global developments in the field.

Education department sources said the curriculum is expected to be introduced in stages. Under the proposed plan, implementation would begin in selected schools before being gradually expanded across the province.

The sources added that teacher training modules and supporting resource material are also being developed, while the timeline for province-wide implementation is still being worked out.

The development marks a formal step by the provincial authorities toward integrating artificial intelligence into school education through a structured curriculum prepared by PECTAA and presented to the relevant education leadership in Punjab.