MAPUSA
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said the government has decided to start coding and robotic education in schools from this year onwards, even as schools are expected to begin the new academic year with online classes amidst Covid concerns.
“We are introducing new coding and robotic education scheme in schools. The director of education and the director of technical education will simultaneously formulate the scheme and start the coding and robotic education from this academic year,” Sawant said, in his public address to the State on the occasion of the Goa Revolution Day.
The government last month had notified the ‘Chief Minister’s Coding and Robotics Education in Schools Scheme’.
According to the notification, the scheme will be implemented in government and aided high schools and the implementation will be in phases, starting with students of Class VI, VII and VIII. Each government and aided high school will get a lab to implement the scheme.
The notification had also stated that the scheme will be held during class hours.
Since schools will be conducting classes online, the implementation of the scheme has come under the radar.
“Initially, we will be training the computer teachers and then it will be decided. In any case, teaching of students will start from this year only,” said Dileep Bhagat, Director of Education.
“We have already trained our Mapusa teachers, who will in turn train the other computer teachers,” he added.
He said the coding and robotic education module can be imparted online to students.
“We will give the students basic knowledge which can be conducted online. When the normal schools resume and students are able to attend classes, we will complete the other portion,” he said.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant also stressed the need of starting coaching classes for students who want to appear for competitive exams.
He said special centres would be started in colleges to coach students for competitive exams such as IAS, IPS, NIIT etc conducted by the Union Public Service Commission.
He said the State assembly had passed the private university bill which will allow private universities to set shop in the State.
“A lot of Goans were going out to study. We have given approval to three universities imparting technical education. Goan students will benefit in a big way,” Sawant said.
