Kerala to strengthen IT, electronics teaching in schools

Instruction in IT and electronics is going to be strengthened in all the schools in Kerala, a minister said on Thursday.

"Through this we wish to create a pool of skilled future IT professionals and electronics geeks," State IT and Industries Minister P.K.Kunhalikutty told reporters here, a day before the second phase of the Learn to Code project and a pioneering Electronics@School programme are launched by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy at a function here on Friday.

"Under the Learn to Code project, which is a joint endeavour of Kerala Startup Mission and Kerala's IT@School project, 7,500 school children will get Raspberry Pi palm computer kits. Likewise in the Electronics@School project, a kit developed by a startup company would be given to school students," said State IT Secretary P.H.Kurian.

The Raspberry Pi is a low cost, credit-card sized computer that plugs into a display unit (computer monitor or TV) and uses a standard keyboard and mouse. It can carry out most functions of a regular desktop, including word processing, playing games and videos, and internet surfing, besides enabling users to learn to program in languages such as Scratch and Python.

In the Electronics @ School project, the kit is based on the simple concept of puzzle solving that helps students understand connectivity through trial and error.

The structure of the kit divides electronics into six basic blocks, each of these bricks is colour coded so as to make it more intuitive and easier to understand.

The children using the kit can make simple electronic items.

"This year, 6,000 electronics kit to various schools across the state will be distributed and is aligned with the physics curriculum of classes 9 and 10," said Kunhalikutty.