Chennai, July 22: The Tamil Nadu government is set to enhance technology education in schools. A new curriculum focusing on ‘Emerging Technologies’ will be introduced for students in grades 6 to 8 across all government schools. Additionally, specialized textbooks will be developed for higher classes under the state board syllabus.
On Tuesday, the first meeting of the ‘High-Level Curriculum Expert Committee’ and the ‘Curriculum Development Committee’ took place at the Anna Centenary Library in Chennai, chaired by School Education Minister A. Raj Mohan. The proposal was discussed in detail during this meeting.
Officials stated that the initiative aims to equip students with essential digital skills for the future and strengthen technology-based learning in schools. Currently, this curriculum is being piloted in approximately 5,000 government schools under the ‘Tamil Nadu Schools Program for AI, Robotics, and Knowledge of Online Tools.’
Encouraged by the positive response, the School Education Department plans to implement this program in all government schools for grades 6 to 8.
According to officials, this curriculum goes beyond traditional computer education. It will teach students about artificial intelligence (AI), computational thinking, coding, and digital tools through practical and project-based learning.
The curriculum emphasizes that students should not be limited to theory but learn to use technology to solve real-life practical problems. The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) has already prepared bilingual textbooks for grades 6 to 8 under the Tamil Nadu Spark Program.
It is expected that textbooks for grades 9 and 10 will be introduced in the next academic year, followed by textbooks for grades 11 and 12 in subsequent phases. Mathematics and science teachers in government and government-aided schools will receive training from SCERT to teach this subject. The proposed curriculum has been sequentially designed according to different classes.
Students in grade 6 will start with digital awareness, while grade 7 students will learn the basics of emerging technologies and their applications. In grade 8, students will engage in practical projects. The curriculum for grades 9 and 10 will focus on using technology to address real-life challenges.
Students will also be introduced to advanced concepts such as generative AI, prompt engineering, large language models, and AI-powered text, image, and music generation. They will gain practical experience with educational tools like GeoGebra, Google Earth, PHET simulations, Stellarium, and LibreOffice.
B. Chandra Mohan, Additional Chief Secretary of the School Education Department, mentioned that the government is also considering introducing the emerging technology curriculum as an elective subject for grades 11 and 12. He added that the department is currently working on the implementation methods for this course, which is expected to benefit over 6 million students studying under the state board syllabus in Tamil Nadu.
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