To prepare the students of today for the AI-future of tomorrow, CBSE has signed an MoU with Intel India to impart artificial intelligence (AI) learning in schools. This move is geared towards increasing the pace of AI integration in India’s education system, including setting up AI skill labs and creating an AI curriculum for students. AI skill labs will be implemented in 22,000 schools across the country.
The initiative is based on the ‘Intel AI for Youth’ programme, which is an immersive hands-on learning programme, that uses experiential methodologies covering both social and technological skills.
Artificial intelligence has become important and strategic for worldwide economic growth, as well as for better employment opportunities. It will only continue to be one of the most in-demand technologies in the future. Imparting the skills needed to better comprehend and utilise AI right from the beginning, will better enable students to become digitally empowered and utilise technology effectively in the future.
According to the integration manual on CBSE’s website, the two-part plan is to introduce AI as an elective subject in classes 8, 9 and 10. To begin with, schools have to apply to CBSE and get a stamp of approval to introduce AI as a course. The AI curricula for classes 8 and 9 have been chalked out and a Facilitators’ Handbook has been produced. CBSE is also supporting extensive teacher training for the teaching of AI in schools.
The second part is to integrate AI with other disciplines from classes 1-12. The premise is that AI is a cognitive science, which can be linked to various subjects that concern themselves with cognition and reasoning. Most of the school subjects, such as mathematics, computing, neuro-science, psychology, economics, sociology, philosophy and languages will fall in this domain.
