New curriculum to lighten schoolbags

For many children, particularly those in private schools in Lahore and other major cities, the schoolbag has become much more than a collection of prescribed textbooks. Alongside compulsory subjects, the students are frequently expected to carry grammar and mathematics practice books, general knowledge material, computer science books, activity workbooks and additional learning resources.

The situation becomes more challenging when schools introduce supplementary courses and additional academic activities without removing existing material. Children consequently face a combination of heavy bags, lengthy home assignments and pressure to complete several subjects within classroom hours.

The revised curriculum is expected to address part of this problem by reducing textbook volume by 25%. However, educationists believe that the actual benefit will depend on whether schools also review their supplementary reading requirements, homework policies and examination practices.

A reduction in textbook pages alone may not significantly ease students' academic pressure if institutions continue prescribing additional books and practice material.

The government will, therefore, need to ensure that private and public sector schools follow the revised curriculum without unnecessarily expanding the prescribed workload. the Punjab Education Curriculum, Training and Assessment Authority (PECTAA), the revised curriculum has been prepared for Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) to Grade V and sent to the Cambridge International Education authorities for assessment and comparison with international standards.

The final curriculum content is expected to be ready in December, following which PECTAA will begin printing the revised textbooks in January. The books are scheduled to be available before the beginning of the new academic session in April.

An important component of the reform is the introduction of QR codes in textbooks. Students will be able to scan these codes through digital devices and access video lessons relating to the relevant topics. The initiative is intended to make classroom learning more interactive by combining conventional reading material with audiovisual explanations.

Difficult mathematical concepts, scientific topics and other lessons could become easier to understand through demonstrations and visual presentations. The digital component also offers opportunities for students to revise lessons at home and learn at their own pace.