CBSE brings coding, AI, financial literacy into curriculum from Class VI

The courses will be optional and of 10-15 hour duration, and will not require investments in terms of labs and special subject teachers

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), a national board for public and private schools, has introduced coding, artificial intelligence (AI), financial literacy and other skills for classes VI to VIII to help integrate vocational studies in the mainstream curriculum.

Based on the New Education Policy’s recommendations to introduce vocational education at the school level, the board has sent out a circular about 33 new subjects to be introduced soon. Such skill subjects were so far available to students after passing class XI.

The courses will be of 10-15 hour duration and optional, a CBSE spokesperson told Moneycontrol. They will not require investments in terms of labs and special subject teachers and are meant to provide tertiary-level exposure to the students, the spokesperson added.

It will be up to the schools to integrate and introduce the skill modules. Assessment will be done internally as the subjects are only meant to promote the interest of a student, CBSE said in a statement in April.

Need of hour

The introduction of such subjects paired with computational thinking in schools under the provisions of the NEP represents a significant shift in education aimed at preparing students for a future characterised by rapid technological advancements, experts said, calling the step the ‘need of the hour.’

“As the world and jobs become increasingly digital and technology-oriented, students must be equipped with the relevant skills to succeed. Our jobs need data orientation and strong reasoning ability,” said Adarsh Khandelwal, director of Collegify, which offers students admissions guidance and tutoring services for standardised tests.

There will be many benefits, said Vineet Nayar, founder chairman of Sampark Foundation, which works to advance the cause of primary education in India.

“Children in middle schools will be getting into job markets in about 8-10 years. In this period, digital will be embedded in everything we do and would be a critical skill to possess,” he said.

Early interest in this area will encourage children to gain super-specialisation in subjects of their choice in college and become cutting edge leaders in the new world, Nayar added. India has its largest ever adolescent and youth population who will need employment.

“Training children in areas including coding and AI could be of great strategic advantage for India,” he pointed out.

Widening skill gap

However, Nayar said the introduction of these modules may widen the gap between students in government and private schools. According to the Annual Status of Education Report (rural) survey 2021, over 70 percent of the children were enrolled in government schools in 2021 and this trend has been increasing.

A nationwide Foundational Learning Survey in 2022 showed that 37 percent of class 3 students showed “limited” foundational numeracy knowledge and skills and 11 percent lacked the most basic knowledge and skills.

“With over 70 percent of children in government schools, where we are still struggling with foundational numeracy and literacy skills, the introduction of these vocational modules adds a complexity which these schools do not have the resources to deal with,” said Nayar.

That would increase the knowledge and skill gap between private urban and rural government schoolchildren, he added.

However, experts said that despite challenges, India needs to walk this path on a mission mode, ensuring adequate resources are allocated so that it snowballs into one big skill pool that can feed global demand in the years to come.

Trend in other countries

Globally, there has been a sharp rise in teaching vocational subjects in high schools, with many countries having recognised its importance in preparing students to join the workforce and addressing skills gap between education and employment, said Prateek Bhargava, founder of Mindler, a career counselling platform in New Delhi.

Germany, Australia and Switzerland have made vocational education a priority by investing in vocational schools and offering apprenticeships and work-based learning programmes. Their dual-education system provides students with both theoretical and practical training in various occupations, Bhargava added.

While some experts are against the introduction of such complicated subjects at a young age, others welcomed the CBSE’s step, especially in view of the global trends, as it prepares students for the future job market in India.

“AI, coding can play a significant role in building essential skills and complementing traditional subjects rather than taking away their focus,” said Varathkanth E, a vice president at Educational Initiatives, an edtech company. “It can help students enhance their computational thinking skills, which involves problem-solving, logical reasoning, and algorithmic understanding. These skills are valuable across diverse professions.”

He said incorporating AI in education will not mean diminishing the importance of traditional subjects but offers an opportunity to enhance the learning experience, making it more engaging, relevant, and aligned with the skills required in the evolving job market.

“AI has the potential to allow students to build essential skills and complement traditional subjects rather than detract from them,” he said.