Mumbai: In a major step towards integrating emerging technologies into the education sector, the Maharashtra School Education Department on Friday signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with Google for Education to provide advanced training in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital technology to teachers across the state.
Programme Scale
Under the initiative, more than four lakh teachers from government and aided schools will receive training through the ‘Google AI Educator Series’ over the next 18 months. The programme aims to equip educators with AI literacy, digital skills and modern teaching methodologies aligned with the evolving educational landscape.
The Letter of Intent was signed by Chris Phillips, Vice President of Google for Education, on behalf of Google, and Joint Secretary Tashildar on behalf of the School Education Department during a programme held at the office of Maharashtra School Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse at Mantralaya.
Minister's Address
Addressing the gathering, Bhuse said that equipping teachers with contemporary technological skills has become essential in the era of Artificial Intelligence and digital transformation. He said the training programme would be implemented in phases, beginning with the training of selected master trainers who would subsequently train teachers across the state.
“The objective is to ensure that AI-based learning reaches every school in Maharashtra. Importantly, the initiative will not impose any financial burden on the state government as Google will provide the training free of cost,” Bhuse said.
Digital Security Measures
The minister also assured that adequate measures had been put in place to safeguard teachers' digital security and that the entire programme would remain under the supervision of the Maharashtra government.
Minister of State for School Education Dr. Pankaj Bhoyar said the role of Artificial Intelligence in education is expanding rapidly and that the department wanted teachers from government and aided schools to benefit from training offered by a globally recognised organisation.
Master Trainer Model
“This partnership with Google for Education will help lakhs of teachers gain access to world-class training. Through the master trainer model, the benefits of the programme will reach schools across the state and ultimately enhance learning outcomes for students,” he said.
According to officials, the collaboration will focus on improving AI literacy and digital competencies among teachers. The programme will offer training materials in Marathi, Hindi and English, issue secure digital identities to educators and promote the educational use of Google's AI-powered tools. It will also support teachers' professional development and encourage technology-enabled teaching practices.
Alignment with NEP 2020
The initiative is aligned with the goals of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasises the integration of technology into education. Officials said the programme would also strengthen digital educational infrastructure, including ICT laboratories, connected classrooms, smart classrooms, digital libraries and language laboratories.
The event was attended by Principal Secretary of the School Education Department Ranjitsinh Deol, Joint Secretary Tashildar, senior Google for Education official Sanjay Jain, departmental officers and other dignitaries.
Officials expressed confidence that the collaboration would help create greater awareness about Artificial Intelligence among educators while preparing Maharashtra's teaching workforce for the future of digital learning.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/
