Pakistan(National Times)- LAHORE: In a groundbreaking move, the Punjab School Education Department has introduced new subject groups for matriculation examinations, providing students with expanded choices beyond the traditional science and arts streams. Secretary of School Education Punjab, Khalid Naeem Wattoo, announced that students can now opt for subjects such as health sciences, agriculture, information technology (IT), and entrepreneurship.This initiative marks the first time in 70 years that the education system in Pakistan has seen such a significant overhaul. The new groups aim to align the curriculum with international standards and offer students more practical and career-oriented options. “We have introduced four new groups: agriculture, IT, fashion designing, and health sciences. Students will be taught practically, with 30 marks allocated for theory and 40 marks for practicals,” Wattoo told Geo News on Tuesday. The introduction of these new groups will not require the hiring of additional teachers, he said. Instead, existing teachers will receive training to adapt to the modern curriculum. “We have teachers who are engineers, and computer teachers are already in place. We will train our current staff to meet the demands of these new subjects,” Wattoo explained. The total marks for matriculation exams will remain at 1,100, with the new subjects being integrated within the existing framework. Students will select their subject groups at the beginning of the ninth grade, allowing them to focus on their chosen fields throughout their secondary education.