Code School Signs MOU with Punjab’s Education Department to Introduce Coding Literacy at NSCOE

From left to right: Senior officials from the Punjab Education Department, Minahil Hussain (Head of School, NSCOE), Mariam Zaidi (Partnerships Lead, Code School), Minister for Education Rana Sikandar Hayat, Senior officials from the Punjab Education Department, seated Dr. Khurram Shahzad (CEO, NSCOE), and Sadaf Rehman (CEO, Code School)

Code School has signed an letter of intent with the Government of Punjab’s Education Department to support the introduction of coding literacy at the Nawaz Sharif Center of Excellence (NSCOE) in Lahore. The signing took place in the presence of the Minister for Education, Rana Sikandar Hayat, and represents a constructive step toward building early exposure to coding within the public-school ecosystem.

This collaboration reflects Code School’s ongoing work in helping schools deliver structured, age-appropriate coding lessons. Since 2021, Code School has delivered thousands of classes, developed over 100 modules for Grades 1 to 10, and supported children across different school systems in learning core programming and problem-solving skills. The organisation’s cofounder, Sadaf Rehman, previously led the government’s computer science curriculum reform through the National Curriculum Council, work that touched more than 20 million students.

The MOU outlines a framework for NSCOE to incorporate coding lessons into select programs, drawing on Code School’s delivery models and experience working with schools in Pakistan and abroad. The focus is practical: enabling NSCOE students to access structured coding activities and ensuring teachers and administrators have the operational support needed to run the program effectively.

Mariam Raza Zaidi, Partnerships Lead at Code School, noted her appreciation for the partnership and the steps toward strengthening digital skills within early-grade learning.

“So proud to be a part of a historical partnership between Code School and the Department of Education, Government of Punjab, in the presence of Minister for Education Rana Sikander Hayat, for introducing coding literacy as part of the government curriculum at NSCOE, Lahore.”

Code School’s curriculum spans block-based coding in early grades to JavaScript, Python, and game design modules for older students, offering schools a clear progression that fits into existing timetables and resource environments.

This partnership is an extension of that work—another setting where coding literacy can be made accessible in a simple, structured way. It introduces a model that can inform how public-sector institutions begin experimenting with coding at scale, while keeping implementation aligned with classroom realities.

For Code School, one purpose remains consistent: helping more children learn the basics of coding early enough to benefit from them later.