In a significant push to modernize education in government schools, a group of teachers from Varanasi has returned from a specialized training program at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. This initiative, part of a broader state government effort, aims to equip students in upper primary schools with cutting-edge technological skills, including artificial intelligence (AI), coding, and cybersecurity.
Bridging the Digital Divide in Government Schools
Ten teachers from Varanasi's basic education department schools recently completed a rigorous training module conducted by the UP Council of Educational Research and Training, Lucknow, in collaboration with IIT Kanpur. The program is a cornerstone of the state's plan to provide world-class, technology-driven education to children, enabling them to compete with peers from more expensive private institutions.
Chief Development Officer Prakhar Kumar Singh emphasized that subjects like AI coding and cybersecurity have now been formally integrated into the curriculum for students from classes 6 to 8. The practical implementation of this digital literacy curriculum, which is included in science textbooks, necessitated upskilling the educators first.
Inside the IIT Kanpur Training Curriculum
The training was designed to build a strong foundation in computer-based knowledge. Teachers were skilled in a wide array of tools and languages essential for modern digital education. The curriculum covered:
- Fundamental computer operations and software like MS Paint, Excel, and Word.
- Web development basics such as HTML and Google Forms.
- Coding languages, starting with visual block coding using Scratch and advancing to text-based coding with Python.
- Effective use of various AI tools, including Gemini, Copilot, and ChatGPT, for ICT-based learning.
The training format included five days of offline sessions and seven weeks of online instruction, culminating in a two-day presentation at IIT Kanpur where the teachers demonstrated their newly acquired expertise.
The Teachers Leading the Change
The educators who underwent this transformative training are Tuba Asim, Deepti Mishra, Supriya, Akanksha, Pragya, Varun, Varsha, Veer, and V K Yadav. Their mission is now to directly impart this knowledge to children in the district's council schools, acting as catalysts for digital empowerment.
A Milestone for Digital India and Future-Ready Infrastructure
CDO Singh stated that this step is a milestone in realizing the national Digital India mission. The goal is not limited to teacher training; the government is concurrently developing high-tech infrastructure in schools on a large scale. This includes establishing mini technology labs, dedicated AI classes, advanced learning tools, and machine learning workshops.
By preparing government schools in such a "high-tech and state-of-the-art manner," the initiative seeks to level the playing field. It ensures that students from all backgrounds have access to the skills that will define the future job market, such as computational thinking, digital creativity, and an understanding of emerging technologies.
The special training from IIT Kanpur is expected to significantly enhance the pedagogical skills of teachers while opening up new, exciting opportunities for the children studying in these schools. This forward-looking move promises to reshape the educational landscape of Varanasi and set a benchmark for similar interventions across Uttar Pradesh and India.
