UP State Curriculum Framework: AI May Be Optional Subject, Emotional Development & Social Responsibility In Focus; Draft Under Review

Artificial Intelligence could be offered as an optional subject in Uttar Pradesh's secondary schools if a suggestion made during the ongoing development of the State Curriculum Framework is accepted.

The proposal was made during the second phase of a workshop organised by the Uttar Pradesh Secondary Education Council to prepare the state's secondary education curriculum framework. The workshop concluded on August 7, 2026, with participants discussing what students should learn beyond conventional academic subjects.

The AI suggestion was made by the Joint Director of Education, Lucknow, who said the technology should be considered as an optional subject while also taking into account its potential benefits as well as its negative aspects.

However, AI is not part of the final curriculum yet. The State Curriculum Framework is still in the draft stage and has been sent to education officials and government school principals for feedback.

Draft sent to schools for feedback

The workshop brought together 32 principals of government secondary schools from different parts of Uttar Pradesh, along with education officials.

During the final session, participating groups prepared statements outlining the proposed curriculum goals and competencies for their respective subjects.

The initial draft prepared during the workshop has now been circulated to principals of government schools in different districts, District School Inspectors, Regional Secretaries and Joint Directors of Education.

These officials have been asked to review the draft and provide their suggestions before the framework moves ahead.

Why UP is preparing its own curriculum framework

Additional Secretary for Textbooks Skand Shukla explained that the National Curriculum Framework has generally been developed with a strong focus on elementary education.

According to him, activities and examples associated with the national framework are also largely designed around basic education. A separate framework is therefore being prepared to address the requirements of secondary education in Uttar Pradesh.

The proposed state framework is intended to reflect the state's local characteristics while addressing the changing educational needs of secondary school students.

Emotional development to be part of assessment

The discussions during the workshop were not limited to academic learning.

The Principal of Jubilee Inter College, Lucknow, suggested that student assessment should consider more than marks and academic performance. Emotional development, according to the suggestion, should also form part of the way students are evaluated.

Another proposal came from the Principal of Government Inter College, Chandauli, who suggested introducing language laboratories in schools. Such facilities, the principal said, could help students improve their oral communication skills.

The District School Inspector of Amethi also stressed the importance of connecting students with their social and family environments. The curriculum, according to the suggestion, should help students understand their social context and develop a sense of social responsibility.

Schools should be enjoyable, officials say

The District School Inspector of Sitapur said the curriculum should make students feel that going to school is an enjoyable experience.

The official also highlighted the need to recognise individual differences among students, suggesting that the framework should not treat every learner in exactly the same way.

The Additional Secretary of the Secondary Education Council's Regional Office in Meerut described the vision of the draft as positive but said future challenges should also be considered while developing the framework.

AI proposed as an optional subject

Among the suggestions discussed at the workshop was the possibility of introducing Artificial Intelligence as an optional subject.

The proposal came from the Joint Director of Education, Lucknow. While supporting consideration of AI, the official also pointed to the need to examine both its positive and negative implications.

This means that AI remains a proposal under consideration, rather than a confirmed subject in the Uttar Pradesh school curriculum.

If the suggestion is incorporated into the final framework, further decisions would be required on areas such as the classes in which AI could be offered, the curriculum content and how students would be assessed.

Focus on implementation, not just drafting

At the conclusion of the workshop, Bhagwati Singh, Secretary of the Secondary Education Council, said the vision behind the framework would be critical to its success.

He stressed that the framework was being prepared with the same seriousness that would be required for its eventual implementation. Since the exercise involves multiple stakeholders, teachers and education officials will have an important role once the framework is finalised.

Singh also appreciated the participation of government school principals and encouraged them to continue contributing to the process.

Additional Secretary, Administration, Satyendra Kumar Singh, thanked the officials, staff and academic team involved in organising the workshop.

32 government school principals participated

A total of 32 principals and heads of government secondary schools from districts across Uttar Pradesh participated in the workshop.

The participating institutions included government schools and inter colleges from districts such as Bhadohi, Chandauli, Fatehpur, Ghaziabad, Gorakhpur, Hamirpur, Hardoi, Hathras, Jalaun, Kanpur Nagar, Kasganj, Lakhimpur Kheri, Lalitpur, Lucknow, Mahoba, Muzaffarnagar, Pilibhit, Rampur, Saharanpur, Shravasti, Sultanpur and Varanasi.

The participants included principals and headmistresses from government high schools, government inter colleges, government girls' inter colleges and model inter colleges.

Published on: Saturday, August 08, 2026, 05:09 PM IST