Microsoft to provide digital training at tribal schools

Microsoft will make the Artificial Intelligence curriculum available to tribal students in both English and Hindi at all EMRS schools under the Ministry to train educators and students in next-generation technologies including Artificial Intelligence.

New Delhi:In a bid to build an inclusive, skills-based economy, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) today inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Microsoft to support the digital transformation of schools such as Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) and Ashram Schools, under the Ministry at an online event ‘Empowering Youth For Success’.

Microsoft will make the Artificial Intelligence curriculum available to tribal students in both English and Hindi at all EMRS schools under the Ministry to train educators and students in next-generation technologies including Artificial Intelligence.

Minister for Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda said that our students need to get ready to compete at the global level. This program will prove beneficial in terms of the readiness, preparedness of the students at various international forums.

"Through these programs, our students would get the required skill set through digital transformation and this would open a new chapter with AI and coding being a part of the curriculum,” he said.

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Munda also added that for the digital India Mission to be successful every segment of the society needs to be empowered and he hoped that this Microsoft program would be able to bridge the gap between the tribal students and others.

Under this program in the first phase, 250 EMRS schools have been adopted by Microsoft out of which 50 EMRS schools will be given intensive training and 500 master trainers would be trained in the first phase.

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Not only the students but 5000 teachers nominated by the ministry across these schools would be provided with professional training.

Teachers across states in India will be trained in a phased manner for using productivity technologies like Office 365 and AI applications in teaching, helping them deliver blended or remote learning experiences to students in a more personalized, productive, and secure manner.

Teacher training will introduce them to the world of virtual collaboration and how teaching can be augmented with virtual field trips or remote sessions with experts. The program will also offer opportunities for teachers to earn professional e-badges and e-certificates from the Microsoft Education Centre.

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