PANAJI
After successfully teaching advanced curriculum in robotics and coding subjects to around 11,000 students over last two years, the Goa government has now roped 200 ‘lead schools’ to offer similar subjects to another 16,000-odd students, with special interest and talent in the coding and robotics in the coming academic year 2024-25.
The curriculum to be taught after school hours, once a week, will see engineering graduates and professionals invited as “teach for Goa” fellows to reach the advanced syllabus.
The new robotics and coding syllabus were introduced in the academic year 2021-22, for over 20,000 students studying in government and aided schools for Class VI to VIII. The ‘Chief Minister’s Coding And Robotics Education in Schools Scheme’ or CM-CARES is being implemented by the Directorate of Technical Education and the curriculum is designed based on the broad guidelines provided by a panel of the State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT).
According to sources, for the year 2022-23, nearly 3000 students from Class VI, VII and VIII had enrolled to study the advanced curriculum as an elective subject covering 60 ‘Lead Schools’, while the number went upto 7,700 in 2023-24.
The lead schools are select institutions in each taluka which are equipped with a robotics lab where the advanced curriculum is taught. “With increasing number of students, we are taking on board more lead schools to provide Lab infrastructure,” the official said.
“Schools are not forcing anyone. This advanced curriculum is being taught to only those students who are self-motivated or interested to train further on topics such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. These subjects are in demand across. It is interesting to see that many students, including those from rural areas, are keen to take up this extra learning post school hour,” official said.
The official said that these are kind of skilled-based subject, which has got lot of opportunities across sections.
