MOHALI, July 14 —To redefine classroom learning, the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) has announced a state-wide integration of Artificial Intelligence, Digital Design, Agriculture, and other skill-based subjects into the school curriculum.
The announcement came during the National Conference on “Rethinking Education Framework for Next Generation Learning,” hosted by PSEB, marking Punjab’s most ambitious push yet for vocational education and practical skill development across its school system.
“We’re shifting from marks to meaning and from school bags to skill bags,” said Dr. Amarpal Singh, Chairman of PSEB. “This is about bringing dignity to all forms of work and giving every child—especially in rural and semi-urban schools—the chance to learn by doing.”
The new initiative, called “Hunar Sikhya”, aims to introduce future-ready skills through everyday classroom teaching and real-life engagement. Students from Classes 6 to 8 will participate in 10-day “bagless internships,” stepping outside school walls to shadow farmers, tailors, mechanics, health workers, and tech professionals in their local areas.
Courses in AI, Information Technology, Agriculture, Digital Design, Beauty and Wellness, Healthcare, Business Finance, and Insurance will become regular features of school learning. The program is designed to cultivate both respect for diverse professions and the confidence to pursue them.
“Whether it’s farming or coding, we want every student to experience the world of work, understand it, and value it,” Dr. Singh said, adding that this mission will touch “every district, every school, every child.”
Sameer Daniel, a consultant with the Ministry of Education, praised Punjab’s approach as a model for other states. “This is bold and inclusive,” he said. “It reaches even border villages and ensures that no learner is left out. Students will soon have access to a career guidance app starting in 2025.”
Daniel also noted that real industry partnerships would help deliver this curriculum, allowing local entrepreneurs, artisans, and professionals to mentor students directly. The idea, he said, is not just to teach skills but to nurture curiosity and self-belief.
To make this transition effective, teachers will undergo training to become career guides, project mentors, and facilitators of innovation. “We want our educators to teach with joy and purpose,” said Dr. Singh. “Students will gain life skills, and teachers will become the backbone of this new skill-first model.”
Internships will be tailored to local economies, ensuring relevance and community involvement. In the coming months, schools across Punjab will begin to adopt this hybrid of learning and working—reshaping education to meet the needs of the next generation.
