PM Shehbaz Orders Mandatory IT Education from Grade 6

ISLAMABAD: In a major push toward a digitally empowered Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the immediate formulation of a nationwide strategy to introduce Information Technology (IT) as a compulsory subject from Grade 6 onwards.

Chairing a high-level review meeting on the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, PM Shehbaz emphasized the critical need to equip the youth with digital skills to meet the demands of the global economy. “The inclusion of IT in school curricula is vital for preparing our next generation for the digital era,” he said.

He urged close collaboration with provincial governments to ensure that IT education and training are standardized and of high quality across all educational levels, from schools to universities.

To bridge regional disparities, the prime minister directed the Ministry to launch IT training initiatives in underserved areas, including Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Balochistan.

During the session, the Ministry briefed the Prime Minister on various ongoing initiatives. Under the School Broadband Connectivity Project, internet infrastructure in Islamabad’s schools is currently being upgraded. For the fiscal year 2024–2025, the Ministry has provided high-end IT training to nearly 50,000 individuals and general training to over 600,000 people.

In partnership with Huawei, vocational training centers are being set up at prestigious institutions such as the International Islamic University Islamabad, NUST, and COMSATS Lahore. Advanced courses in AI, Cloud Computing, Big Data, and Cybersecurity have already been embedded into the curricula of top engineering universities, including GIK Institute, UET Taxila, and Mehran University.

Moreover, more than 146,000 students will be trained, and 1,300 laboratories will be upgraded nationwide through a joint effort by the Ministry of Federal Education and Huawei, which will benefit students in less-developed regions.

Senior government officials, including Federal Ministers Ahad Khan Cheema and Shaza Fatima Khawaja, PM Youth Program Chairman Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, and Huawei CEO Ethan Sun, attended the meeting.