Punjab’s Education Minister, Mr. Mohsin Naqvi, announced on Saturday that the province’s sweeping education reforms will be rolled out across all public schools at the start of the upcoming academic year, labeling the initiative a “surgery” after seven decades of merely “getting injections” into the system.
Naqvi explained that the metaphor underscores the shift from superficial fixes to a comprehensive overhaul targeting the curriculum, teacher development, and school infrastructure. He said the reforms will introduce a competency‑based syllabus, a nationwide teacher‑upskilling programme and a multi‑phase refurbishment plan for classrooms, laboratories and digital learning hubs.
The minister highlighted that the previous model, in place for 71 years, relied on periodic policy tweaks and short‑term funding boosts that never addressed the systemic gaps. “We have been injecting money without operating on the root causes. This time we are cutting out the diseased parts and rebuilding,” he remarked during a press conference at the Punjab Education Department headquarters.
The new curriculum, developed in consultation with local universities and international experts, aims to align secondary education with the skills demanded by Pakistan’s growing technology and services sectors. It will replace rote‑learning‑centric textbooks with modules that emphasize critical thinking, problem‑solving and entrepreneurship, and will be piloted in 150 schools before full provincial adoption.
Teacher training will be coordinated through the newly established Punjab Institute of Teaching Excellence, which plans to certify 200,000 educators over the next three years. The institute will deliver blended courses covering modern pedagogical techniques, classroom management and the integration of information‑technology tools, with a focus on rural and under‑served districts.
Infrastructure upgrades will be financed through a dedicated education development fund, earmarked at PKR 150 billion for the 2026‑27 fiscal year. The plan includes renovating dilapidated buildings, installing solar power systems, providing high‑speed internet connectivity, and equipping laboratories with up‑to‑date scientific apparatus.
Analysts note that the reforms could affect more than 30 million students enrolled in Punjab’s public schools, the largest education market in Pakistan. If successfully implemented, the measures are expected to improve literacy rates, reduce dropout figures and enhance the province’s Human Development Index, which has lagged behind national targets in recent years.
Opposition parties have welcomed the focus on structural change but urged the government to ensure transparent monitoring and equitable resource distribution, particularly for marginalized communities in remote areas. The Education Minister responded that an independent oversight committee will be formed, comprising civil‑society representatives, academics and former education officials, to track progress and address any implementation challenges.
With the reforms slated to commence in September, stakeholders across the province are watching closely to see whether the promised “surgery” will indeed cure the long‑standing ailments of Punjab’s education system.