Patna: In a major push to modernise school education, the Bihar education department has partnered with 11 information technology companies, including Google Education, to provide govt schoolteachers specialised training in information technology (IT) and artificial intelligence (AI).
The initiative aims to improve teaching quality, strengthen teachers’ digital skills and prepare schools for technology-driven learning. The Union govt’s skill development department will also assist with the programme.
Education minister Mithilesh Tiwary said the department had begun preparing to train teachers in phases, with emphasis on AI applications in education. The objective is to improve classroom teaching and make learning more effective through technology. The department is also preparing to make computer education compulsory from Class VI in all govt schools from the next academic session. IT infrastructure will be developed to support the move, with smart classrooms planned in 700 model schools before the facility is extended to other govt schools in phases.
Under the proposed arrangement, a centralised teacher-training programme will be held at the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT). The 11 partner companies will conduct sessions in separate batches, combining theoretical instruction with practical IT training. School principals will nominate teachers, with the department aiming to put the necessary arrangements in place by Jan.
The initiative comes amid Bihar’s wider efforts to integrate AI into education. The state govt has also announced mandatory AI training for faculty members in state universities and constituent colleges.
University teachers are expected to learn how to use AI for classroom instruction, lecture planning, question-paper preparation and evaluation of answer scripts. The training is linked to the University Grants Commission’s Guru Dakshata faculty development programme.
A senior education department official said the initiatives marked a shift towards technology-enabled education, but their success would depend on adequate infrastructure, sustained teacher training and effective integration of AI into everyday teaching.
