The Punjab government has decided to bring back board exams for eighth-grade students throughout the province.
As reported by a private news channel, this decision was shared by Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat during a meeting of the Punjab Education Curriculum Training and Assessment Authority, also known as PECTA.
The minister announced that PECTA will be responsible for conducting the Grade 8 exams and instructed that a detailed action plan be finalized within thirty days.
He also directed that internal assessment tests be introduced for students of classes five to seven, with a clear and fair system in place to evaluate both students and teachers.
He further added that the structure for these assessments should be prepared within a month.
Rana Sikandar mentioned that the government is exploring the idea of turning textbooks of Grades 9 and 11 (Matric Tech) into video formats to promote digital learning and improve accessibility for students.
The Academic Committee for Online Tech Education has been given the task of making sure these educational videos maintain high quality.
In addition, the minister called for timely arrangements to print and deliver textbooks for the next academic session, stressing that no delays will be accepted.
He also highlighted the need to reduce dropout rates at the middle school level and improve teacher training by learning from previous outcomes.