Chandigarh: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Punjab Education Department has decided to strengthen students’ ability to read the Gurmukhi script by including a dedicated alphabet page in all Punjabi, Hindi and English textbooks from the upcoming academic session 2026-27.
The move will cover nearly 60 lakh students studying in Classes I to XII across government, government-aided, private and other schools in the state. The textbooks are published by the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB).
Officials said the decision followed an analysis of language papers and learning outcomes which showed weak reading skills among students. A survey in rural Punjab found that 28 per cent of Class III students could read text only at the Class I level while just 34 per cent could read at the Class II level. It also revealed that out of every 100 students studying in Classes III to VIII in government schools, only 47 could read an entire story in their mother tongue, Punjabi.
Under the new plan, Punjabi textbooks will carry the Gurmukhi alphabet before the preface and at the end of the book. In Hindi and English textbooks, Gurmukhi characters will be printed below the alphabets of the respective languages.
PSEB Chairman Dr Amarpal Singh said the objective is to draw students’ attention towards Gurmukhi and improve their reading ability. He said the new feature will be introduced in all language textbooks from the 2026-27 academic session.
