Lighter books with QR codes for montessori to grade-5 students in Punjab from April 2027

Lighter books with QR codes for montessori to grade-5 students in Punjab from April 2027.

Key points

• Imran Gabol Published September 24, 2026 Updated September 24, 2026 09: 20pm.
• Moreover, the CM was informed that English-language training had been completed for 35, 000 teachers in 31 tehsils of 12 Punjab's districts.
• Books under the new curriculum would be created available for the new academic session beginning in April 2027, he went on.
• Imran Gabol is a Lahore-based reporter for Dawn with over a decade of experience in journalism.
• According to Bukhari, cambridge office-holders, who were involved in developing the curriculum content, would additionally train teachers for teaching the new syllabus.

Imran Gabol Published September 24, 2026 Updated September 24, 2026 09: 20pm. Join our Whatsapp Channel. Add Dawn as a trusted source.

LAHORE: Books under a new curriculum for montessori to grade 5 would be available for the new academic session beginning in April 2027, an official informed Dawn on Thursday.

Authorities say that the revised curriculum will reduce the burden of textbooks and would steer a shift away from rote learning.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam offered her approval for the new curriculum while chairing a gathering in Lahore, in which the curricula for English, Mathematics, Social Studies, Urdu and Early Childhood Care Education (ECCE) were reviewed.

Punjab Education Curriculum, Training and Assessment Authority (Pectaa) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Musa Ali Bukhari informed Dawn that Pectaa developed new curriculum for ECCE to grade 5 that was afterwards sent to the Cambridge International Education (CIE) for assessment and comparison with international curricula.

Notably, the CIE – a globally recognised international education framework for students – would provide the final content of the curriculum in December 2026 and Pectaa would commence printing the textbooks in January, Bukhari stated.

Meanwhile, the official remarked the revised curriculum was additionally aimed at reducing the cost of textbooks as the number of pages in books would be reduced.

According to Bukhari, the volume of textbooks will reduce by 25 per cent and each textbook will carry QR codes through which students will be able to access video lessons.

Moreover, the focus under the new curriculum would be on improving learning outcomes instead of memorisation, he remarked.

According to a statement issued by the CM's Office, the session chaired by Maryam agreed that Saturdays would be "dedicated to teachers' training across Punjab, while authors of the new textbooks would conduct training sessions for teachers".

It remarked that during Thursday's gathering, the provincial chief executive directed the relevant authorities to finalise an artificial intelligence (AI) curriculum for grade 1-12 and stressed that computer laboratories should be developed alongside the new curriculum.

Meanwhile, the meeting's participants additionally agreed to introduce mental health training for teachers and considered appointing visiting psychologists in every district. Online counselling facilities for students were additionally proposed.

They additionally agreed in principle on the need for a legislation against corporal punishment in schools, the statement stated, adding that the establishment of "discipline corners" in classrooms was proposed to replace physical punishment.

According to the statement, CM Maryam stressed that physical violence in schools could have a lifelong impact on children and pressed constructive disciplinary measures instead of corporal punishment.

It was further agreed that Saturdays would be "dedicated to teachers' training across Punjab, while authors of the new textbooks would conduct training sessions for teachers".

Imran Gabol is a Lahore-based reporter for Dawn with over a decade of experience in journalism. He covers politics, climate change, human rights, education, and metropolitan affairs. He can be discovered on X at @gabolizm.

For now, lighter books with QR codes for montessori to grade-5 students in Punjab remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.