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A major shift in Pakistan’s education landscape begins this April. Schools and colleges in Islamabad will formally teach Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Robotics starting from the upcoming academic session.
The Ministry of Education and the National Curriculum Council (NCC) finalized this policy to modernize the local education system. This initiative targets students from the nursery level up to grade 12.
A Tiered Approach to Learning
The NCC has designed a specific structure for different age groups. Authorities will introduce AI to students based on their grade level.
Nursery to Class 5:
Schools will teach AI as a non-credit subject. Teachers will focus on “learning with fun”, and the board will conduct no exams for these junior students.
Class 6 to Class 8:
Students enter a more formal phase here. They must choose between two streams, i.e., Computer Science (CS) or Artificial Intelligence.
Class 9 to Class 12:
Senior students can select AI as an elective subject. Consequently, the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) will include AI in its upcoming examinations.
Preparing for a Digital Future with AI & Robotics
This curriculum aims to equip students for a rapidly evolving technological world. Secretary Education Nadeem Mahbub directed the NCC to finalize the AI & Robotics Curriculum for Grades 1–12. Experts provided significant input during this process.
According to the Ministry, the policy focuses on several key competencies:
- Computational Thinking
- Automation & Intelligent Systems
- Robotics Design
- Ethical & Responsible Use of Technology
- Real-World Problem Solving
Director NCC Dr. Tabassum Naz highlighted the necessity of this move. She stated that the system empowers students for “the world of tomorrow”.
Provincial Implementation
While Islamabad implements the policy immediately, provincial adoption remains voluntary. Education is a devolved subject in Pakistan. Therefore, provinces decide whether to adopt the new curriculum.
However, officials remain optimistic. An education ministry official noted that the provinces were on board during the consultation process. Since they provided input for the finalized curriculum, the ministry expects them to implement it soon.
