Keralam is expanding its digital education programme to the primary-school level, with the State government set to roll out the Digital Square project in around 6,000 lower and upper primary schools.
General Education Minister N Samsudheen announced the expansion as part of the State government's 100-day action programme. The project is intended to strengthen digital learning facilities in Classes 1 to 7 and give students regular access to technology within the school day.
The scale of the rollout is significant. Keralam currently has 9,634 lower and upper primary schools, according to KITE's Sametham school database. The Digital Square programme is designed to cover 50% of eligible schools in each educational district, with selection based on existing infrastructure and readiness.
What will a Digital Square contain?
KITE, the Keralam Infrastructure and Technology for Education, envisages a dedicated digital learning space using existing computer labs, classrooms or other suitable areas. Schools can use laptops and desktops provided through earlier technology programmes, along with Smart Boards and other equipment.
The learning environment will use free and open-source software and include digital worksheets, interactive resources, digital textbook editions, podcasts and language-learning tools. Lower primary and upper primary schools will receive separate digital resource packages. Internet connectivity is recommended for upper primary units, while lower primary Digital Squares are designed to function without requiring internet access.
The emphasis is also on what students do with the technology. Children will be able to use tools for drawing, music, animation and block-based programming. KITE's planned activities include creating digital art, recording poetry, composing music, making animations and developing simple games through platforms such as Scratch and Turtle Blocks.
KITE says schools will use the facilities for textbook-linked activities, digital skill development and creative work. Students will also get designated time for independent practice, with schools using a rotation system to ensure access across divisions.
Extending Keralam's digital education push
KITE says 45,000 classrooms across 4,752 high schools, higher secondary schools and vocational higher secondary schools have been made Hi-Tech. Its wider programmes include the Samagra digital resource portal, KITE VICTERS educational channel and Little KITEs student IT clubs. More than 43 lakh students and 1.7 lakh teachers have benefited from KITE's initiatives, according to the agency.
The State is also taking a separate technology push into secondary education. Under the 100-day programme, the ARISE initiative is being used to expand AI and robotics learning in high schools. KITE says advanced robotic kits have already been distributed to more than 2,200 schools, while Keralam's public-school ICT curriculum introduces coding from Class 4, AI concepts from Class 7 and robotics in Class 10.
Digital Square brings structured digital activities into the first seven years of schooling, before students move into the more advanced AI and robotics programmes.
The first phase involved identifying schools with at least two computers and preparing digital resources. The second phase, covering infrastructure, software installation and teacher training, was scheduled for August. Classroom activities are planned from September, followed by wider implementation and expansion in October. KITE's website currently lists a Phase 2 notification dated September 3 and a list of selected schools dated August 24.
The programme also has an inclusion component. KITE says assistive technologies, including voice feedback for visually impaired students and high-contrast interfaces for children with special needs, will form part of the Digital Square environment.
The stated objective is to make digital access part of everyday learning in primary schools, rather than leaving technology exposure dependent on a student's home environment or access to private resources.
