Why in the News?
The Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSE&L), Ministry of Education, will introduce curriculum on Artificial Intelligence and Computational Thinking (AI & CT) in all schools from Class 3 from the academic session 2026–27.
About AI & CT Curriculum in the schools
- This step is aligned with the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) and falls under the broad ambit of the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF SE) 2023.
- Goal: Reinforce the concepts of learning, thinking, and teaching, and gradually expand toward the idea of "AI for Public Good".
- Curriculum Development: Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has constituted an expert committee to develop the AI & CT curriculum.
- Implementation: Teacher training and learning-teaching materials on National Initiative for School Heads' and Teachers' Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA) platform.
What role can AI & CT play in Education?
- Development of Computational Thinking: It is a problem-solving approach that involves understanding a complex problem and develops possible solutions in a way that computer can execute.
- It has four key techniques – decomposition (breaking down complex problem), pattern recognition, abstraction (focusing on important information), and algorithms (developing step-by-step solution to problem).
- Foundational Skills: Introducing AI at young age helps build critical thinking, logical reasoning, and ethical awareness.
- Students learn to understand and question technology, developing meta-skills that are becoming as crucial as literacy and numeracy in the digital age.
- Enhancing Accessibility and Inclusion: AI enables learning systems to adapt to diverse needs, particularly for students with disabilities and special needs.
- UNICEF's Accessible Digital Textbooks initiative uses AI to create customizable digital educational tools that accommodate varied learning requirements, ensuring inclusive resources for differently-abled students.
- Improving Foundational Literacy and Learning Outcomes: For instance, in Brazil the Letrus programme employs AI-powered feedback mechanisms to significantly improve literacy outcomes cutting across socioeconomic barriers.
- Personalized Learning and Mentorship: AI allows learning pathways to be tailored to individual strengths and learning speeds, promoting deeper engagement.
- For example, South Korea's Ministry of Education is developing AI-powered digital textbooks calibrated to student proficiency levels, enabling personalized learning while reducing dependence on private coaching.
- Future Readiness: As automation transforms industries, AI curriculum ensures the next generation is skilled and adaptable to rapidly changing job market.
- The World Economic Forum predicts that 40% of core skills required in all jobs will change within five years.
Challenges in Implementation of AI & CT in education
- The Risk of "Dis-education": There is a fear that AI is "systematically taking away the incentive to learn" if machines can answer questions instantly, leading to a loss of "inter-generational learning"
- Teacher Upskilling: Teaching force of over one crore educators with varying degree of experience with technology need reskilling/upskilling.
- Localization: AI models are often not available in local languages.
- Basic Infrastructure: In India, approximately 9% of schools have only one teacher, and many schools lack basic amenities like electricity or computers.
- Curriculum Fluidity and Relevance: There are difficulties in designing a static syllabus for a rapidly evolving technology.
- For instance, specific skills like "prompt engineering" may become obsolete within a few years.
- Psychological Impact: Students may share things with AI chatbots, raising concerns about emotional dependency and privacy.
Current Initiatives in India
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Way Forward
- Curriculum Focus: Education in AI should be treated as a basic universal skill linked to The World Around Us (TWAU) and curriculum must be broad-based, inclusive, and aligned with NCF SE 2023.
- Adopt an "Unplugged" Approach: For regions with limited infrastructure, the curriculum must be adaptable such computational thinking logic (algorithms) using physical objects rather than digital devices.
- Interdisciplinary Integration: AI can be woven into mathematics, science etc. as done in Ceibal Computational Thinking and Intelligence programme in Uruguay.
- Foster "AI Entrepreneurship" and Applied Skills: For older students (Class 9-12), the focus should shift from literacy to workforce readiness and entrepreneurship.
- For example, Kabakoo Academies (West Africa) The AI provides 24/7 mentoring and feedback on assignments, helping youth build locally relevant businesses.
- Establish Ethical and Safety Protocols: As children interact with AI, safety must be the "minimum threshold" defined by policymakers, regarding what data is shared with chatbots.
Conclusion
Embedding AI and Computational Thinking in school education marks a decisive step towards preparing India's children for a technology-driven yet human-centric future. Over time, such an approach can help democratise technological competence, reduce future skill gaps, and enable young learners not just to use AI, but to shape it for inclusive growth and public good in a rapidly evolving world.
