Beyond chalkboards: How Punjab government schools are building classrooms for the future

Punjab government schools are gradually adopting a vision of education that moves beyond rote and formal learning to create the 21st-century capabilities needed to succeed. As The Tribune acknowledges, this new vision is all about thinking critically, adapting and being innovative, in accordance with wider world trends toward preparing young minds for the work of tomorrow.

 

The pivot of this change is technology. In some government schools, smart classrooms, virtual labs and digital interfaces have started transforming the way classes are delivered. From apps for learning that customize learning paths to learning software based on artificial intelligence, all these have transformed classrooms a great deal.

 

Particularly, ATAL Tinkering labs and AI labs have been set up where students have the chance to tinker with projects that enable them to become more technologically skilled. Proof of this shift is the induction of 10 girls from School of Eminence, Mall Road, who are enriching the efforts on the Satellite Launch Vehicle Project of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) by creating a raspberry board (a miniature, credit-card-sized computer).

 

The Tribune further tells us that the state school system is building active, student-led inquiry. That is different from the outdated teacher-centered model. Through business booster classes and life skills modules, students are being directed to question, solve and form habits conducive to lifelong learning.

 

Flexibility has also spilled over into curricula, with schools adding life skills, environmental science, coding, financial literacy and emotional intelligence alongside the standard subjects. These integrative methods assist in opening up new windows, especially in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

 

Though the teachers of Punjab have already had international exposure, a parallel exposure to the students is yet to be a reality. Meanwhile, assessment frameworks are being re-designed to include not just conventional tests but also project work as well as continuous assessments in order to check all-round development.