Samagra Shikshana Karnataka (SSK) and the British Council have collaborated to teach digital and coding skills to students of Classes VIII and IX. The partnership agreement was signed by BB Cauvery, state project director and Janaka Pushpanathan, south India director, British Council, in presence of Minister of School Education BC Nagesh.
Under this pilot project, 200 school teachers from approximately 100 selected schools in Karnataka will be trained in teaching digital and coding skills using physical Microbits, which are pocket-sized computers meant for coding designed by the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation). According to a press release by the British Council, participating teachers will receive a 3-day face-to-face training by the Council, with materials provided by the Micro:bit foundation.
Each participating school will receive a club kit consisting of 10 Micro:bits which students can use for coding club activities in their schools, which will be started as a part of the project. The press release claims that these activities will simplify the concepts around how computers work and will give students access to learn basic concepts of robotics and coding.
"We anticipate that through this programme an approximate number of 3500 students will be trained by the teachers this academic year," British Council states in the document. Meanwhile, Janaka Pushpanathan said, “Coding is regarded as a key skill for the 21st Century. By building the capacity of teachers to establish and run coding clubs in schools, we hope that this new programme will contribute to the state’s efforts to increase access and support the development of digital skills in government schools."
"This programme will not only contribute to improving coding and digital skills in government school students but will also open new opportunities for them. The initiative furthers our constant efforts towards driving long-term positive impact for the school education system," Minister BC Nagesh said.
SSK is an integrated scheme of school education, which addresses the issues of equity and quality of teaching‐learning in more than 50,000 government schools in the state. And the British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.
