As of today, months after the official rollout, revised textbooks are still missing from classrooms. With no clear distribution timeline, and no backup materials in place, thousands of students and teachers remain in limbo. What could have been a transformative reform is now stalling the academic progress it aimed to accelerate.
What’s Gone Wrong: Delays That Disrupt, Not Deliver
Every summer, private colleges in Punjab rely on post-matriculation camps to give their students a head start. Nearly half the curriculum is typically covered in these sessions, ensuring students are on track to complete their courses by winter.
But this year, something critical is missing: the textbook.
Without updated books, teachers can’t prepare lessons. Institutions can’t plan their schedules. And students, especially those coming out of matric exams, are left guessing what the new syllabus even looks like.
Public institutions have been hit hardest. But perhaps more worrying than the logistical failure is the silence from officials. No public statement, no interim materials, no assurances from the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board (PCTB) or the Education Department. Simply put, the system is stalled, and no one is taking responsibility.
Real-World Impact: Students Caught Off Guard
At the centre of this crisis are the students, particularly those in rural and semi-urban areas. Already burdened by large classrooms, fewer resources, and a shortage of trained teachers, they now face another hurdle: uncertainty.
While urban students may have access to private tuition or digital resources, those in rural settings are left with nothing. Reform in education must be inclusive, not something that inadvertently reinforces inequality.
The assumption that every student can easily navigate this sudden shift in syllabus without support or direction is a dangerous one. Students who just completed their matric exams now find themselves unsure of what lies ahead, a situation that breeds anxiety and discouragement at a most critical learning stage.
Where Responsibility Lies
The delays and disarray in textbook provision reflect a larger failure in coordination between the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board and the provincial Education Department.
From delayed tenders and printing to the absence of teacher training and planning, this is a textbook example of poor execution. Operational delays happen, but in an education system already struggling with quality and equity, there’s too much at stake for this level of negligence.
Till now, no official has accepted accountability. Academic calendars continue to slip. Exams approach. And yet, no recovery plan is in sight.
How to Make These Reforms Actually Work
Good policy is undermined by poor execution, and that’s exactly what’s happening here. The goals behind the curriculum update were commendable. But reform without readiness helps no one.
To fix this, policymakers must rethink their approach, and they must do it fast:
1. Phase the Implementation:
Big changes need time. A phased rollout, across one grade or region at a time, would help ensure quality and allow feedback and adjustment before expanding further.
2. Bring Stakeholders to the Table:
Teachers, principals, textbook publishers, and education experts must be involved from the beginning. A policy is only as strong as its implementation strategy.
3. Provide Temporary Learning Material:
If print books are delayed, digital PDFs, photocopied handouts, and online lesson plans should be made available immediately, especially in public and rural institutions.
4. Prioritise Rural and Underserved Students:
Rural schools need targeted support, more funding, faster distribution, and on-ground monitoring. Educational inequality must not be allowed to grow in the name of reform.
5. Build Accountability Into the System:
Government departments need clear deadlines and reporting structures. There must be consequences for delays and recognition for timely delivery.
Conclusion: Reform is Not the Enemy — Poor Planning Is
Curriculum updates are part of every progressive education system. Change isn’t the problem. How that change is handled is key.
Right now, Punjab’s education reform effort risks becoming a cautionary tale, not because the intent was flawed, but because planning, coordination, and execution were sidelined. For reforms to succeed, students must be prepared, teachers trained, and resources delivered, on time and equitably.
Good education policy isn’t just about rewriting textbooks. It’s about understanding *who* is being taught, *where* they are learning, and *how* they will access that learning.
Until this gap between ambition and action is closed, policy announcements will remain slogans, not solutions.
By:
Babar Khakan Ghilzai
babarkhakan@live.ca
