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Andhra govt to train high school students in future skills; scheme to be rolled out on Jan 6
The objective of the concept is to empower high school students to compete globally, equipping them with balanced and matured thinking and knowledge in emerging and future technologies such as artificial intelligence, data management, machine learning and data analytics
The Andhra Pradesh government has come up with a unique initiative to engage final year B Tech and M Tech students from computers and electronics streams as resource persons to train high school students in “future skills”. The scheme will be rolled out from January 6.
According to a government order issued by principal secretary (higher education) Praveen Prakash on Thursday, the objective of the concept is to empower high school students to compete globally, equipping them with balanced and matured thinking and knowledge in emerging and future technologies such as artificial intelligence, data management, machine learning and data analytics.
Besides, the students would also be taught Large Language Models (LLM) tools including Chat GPT, Web 3.0, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Internet of Things, Central Bank Digital Currency, Autonomous vehicles, 3D-Printing, Gaming.
The government would identify resource persons – mainly students from the final year of B Tech and M Tech with computer science and electronics background to train the students above Class 8 and also teachers of the high schools.
“They would also oversee the available digital infrastructure like tabs and smart TVs, streamline digital infrastructure management, enhance security and support teachers and students. Such resource persons are named as ‘future skills experts’,” Prakash said in the order.
These future skill experts would teach digital technology related subjects as a part of their internship programme during their final semester of B Tech and M Tech courses. “They would also train the teachers in technology-led teaching for imparting education to the students via digital assets in due course,” Prakash further said in the order.
As part of the final semester internship as future skill experts in the high schools, each future skill expert would be paid remuneration of ₹12,000 per month, besides transport allowance of ₹2 per km for commuting from their college to the designated schools.
“The engineering colleges from where these experts are drawn are being mapped with 6,790 government high schools in the state, at the rate of one expert for three schools in job work mode,” the official said.
The YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government, which has been introducing reforms in the education sector, has already made English as the medium of instruction in 45,000 government schools with effect from 2019-20. “All the 4.1 million students studying in various government schools are getting education in English medium,” Prakash said.
Starting 2020-21, the state government introduced bilingual textbooks in the subjects of science, social sciences and mathematics subjects. The government has tied up with Byju’s for providing content in these subjects so as to make the students globally competitive, he said.
During the current academic year, under the flagship program of Nadu Nedu, the state government introduced digitization of the school infrastructure through 30,213 Interactive flat panels (IFPs) in high schools and 10,038 smart TVs in primary schools.
“The government has also approved the proposal to enter into agreement with ETS (Education Testing Services) for providing the opportunity for improving the speaking of English and enhancing the TOEFL preparation for the examination of students studying in government schools,” the principal secretary added.
