Karnataka to set up i-Code Labs to ensure computer education for students of govt school

A view of the computer lab at Mookanakuppe Thimmegowda Government High School at Nelamangala, Bengaluru Rural district. Of 43,000-odd government schools in Karnataka, only about 1,500 schools have full-fledged computer labs. 
| Photo Credit: Sudhakara Jain

The Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) has taken steps to start ‘i-Code Labs’ in select government schools across Karnataka to provide computer education to students right from the school level, from the academic year 2025-26.

The i-Code Labs will be set up in collaboration with Agasthya Foundation to introduce coding for students of government schools to keep pace with the changing technology.

Currently, almost all private schools are providing computer education and training to students with good computer labs.

However, students in government schools are being deprived of computer education due to lack of computers, internet facilities, electricity and other facilities.

Out of about 43,000 government schools across Karnataka, only about 1,500 schools have full-fledged computer labs. Computer education is not being systematically taught to students of these schools.

Budget announcement

To ensure free computer education to all children in government schools, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had made this announcement in the State budget for 2025-26.

Under this project, 63 select schools with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) facilities will be identified as ‘hubs’, benefiting 756 ‘spoke schools’, which will be directly connected to the central ‘hub’ school.

Implementation for classes 6 to 10 students

K.V. Trilok Chandra, Commissioner of Public Instruction, told The Hindu, “As announced by the Chief Minister, steps have been taken to set up i-Code Labs in select government schools. An order will be issued soon. The project will be implemented from the academic year of 2025-26.

“In the first phase, computer education will be provided to students from classes 6 to 10. Students will be taught computer basics, coding, and de-coding. Coding is basically logical thinking, which will help the students think logically in other subjects as well. Currently, about 1,500 government schools across Karnataka have computer labs with ICT systems, and the programme will be gradually extended to these schools as well,” he added.