Updated on March 19, 2024, at 10:35 am IST
- Tim Cook emphasized the importance of coding education during his visit to inaugurate the first Apple Store in India last year.
- Cook urges Indian students, including girls, to learn coding early, highlighting its role in fostering creativity and innovation.
- Initiatives like Atal Tinkering Labs and the Uttar Pradesh government’s plan to introduce coding in schools reflect India’s commitment to advancing digital literacy.
During his visit to India last year to mark the inauguration of the first Apple Store in the country, Apple CEO Tim Cook underscored the significance of coding education, urging Indian students, including girls, to embrace coding from an early age. Cook emphasized that coding serves as the universal language of the digital era, expressing his wish for more students to acquire coding skills to develop innovative solutions for real-world challenges.
In an interview with IANS, Cook stressed the importance of integrating coding into school curriculums worldwide, with a specific emphasis on India. He highlighted that coding not only facilitates self-expression but also nurtures creativity and innovation, bringing individuals closer together in today’s digital landscape.
Acknowledging India’s vast young population, Cook recognized the country’s potential to emerge as a global technology leader by promoting coding education in schools. He commended initiatives by the Government of India aimed at enhancing digital literacy and skill development, particularly in coding.
Several initiatives, including the Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) program, aim to cultivate creativity and innovation among students by providing access to advanced tools and technologies, thereby improving coding and computational thinking skills. Moreover, the Uttar Pradesh education department recently announced plans to introduce coding, computational thinking, and artificial intelligence (AI) fundamentals into the curriculum of state-run schools starting from the academic year 2024-25.
Under this initiative, more than 50 lakh students, spanning Classes 6 to 8 and enrolled in approximately 45,000 state-owned schools, will participate. Coding and computational skills, once considered specialized domains, are now recognized as fundamental cognitive tools essential for holistic learner development.
The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) has introduced a new course to augment the existing science curriculum. Tailored for Class 6 students, the curriculum encompasses proficiency in Microsoft Word, basic programming skills including Python, and other essential computer science aspects. Additionally, students in Classes 7-8 will receive instruction in networking and cybersecurity, logical reasoning, Microsoft Excel proficiency, data management, and introductory AI concepts. The launch of textbooks for all three classes, developed by SCERT, will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Also Read : WHATSAPP IMPLEMENTS SAFETY MEASURE: ANDROID USERS BLOCKED FROM TAKING PROFILE PICTURE SCREENSHOTS
