CBSE making kids future-ready, to teach coding in schools

Indore: Now, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) school students will learn coding in school as a part of curriculum. While coding classes gained popularity during the lockdown with many EdTechs launching such programmes, they will now face a challenge.

With CBSE launching coding as a subject, it would negate the need for joining the course online with some other platform. Coding will now be a subject for all the school students from middle school to high school.

CBSE in collaboration with Microsoft introduced coding as a subject for students of Class 6-8 and data science curriculum for Class 8-12 as new skilling subjects in the 2021-2022 academic session.

The coding and data science curriculum are focused on building critical thinking, computational skills, problem-solving skills, creativity and hands-on exposure to new technologies. The subjects have been launched in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

“As we transition to a world that relies increasingly on technology, it is critical that we impart skills that prepare students and educators across the country to succeed in this digital world,” Manoj Ahuja, chairman, CBSE, said in the announcement to all the affiliated schools.

As per the board, the new course curriculum on coding and data science will equip students with future-ready learning skills. “This is an important step to enable self-reliance in our students and equip them with skills like problem-solving, logical thinking, collaboration and design thinking that are critical for success,” Ahuja added.

NCERT pattern coding with real-life examples

Microsoft has designed supplementary handbooks in both coding and data science, aligned with NCERT patterns and structures. The books cover real-life examples aimed at building exposure to the ethical dimensions exposure to Microsoft MakeCode, an open-source platform that will enable students to learn better in a gamified manner across all disciplines including mathematics, languages, and social sciences while it builds the foundation for AI-based applications of data science.

A little late, but good idea

Parents, teachers and especially students are happy to see coding as a subject offered by CBSE. “However, it’s a little late, as now implementation will also take time,” Kanak Surana, a science teacher, said.

“I am glad that the board is trying to make it one-stop for overall education, because it’s troublesome to make kids attend different classes on different portals,” mother of two Lavina Bajaj said.

A student of grade 8 Sonal Rijhwani said, “I am definitely signing up coding classes, because if I take it up as subject in school, it will be much easier to balance and it will also count in my board results.”