Chennai, Dec 8 : Students studying in Classes 6 to 9 in government schools across Tamil Nadu will soon learn the basics of electronics, robotics, and drone operations through hands-on experiments, as the School Education Department launches a new robotics education initiative to strengthen STEM learning at an early age.

As part of a pilot programme, 15 robotics laboratories are being set up across an equal number of districts to spark student interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The syllabus for the new course is being prepared by the State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT) in collaboration with Anna University, which is also serving as the knowledge partner for the project.

According to a senior official from the department, the course structure will be heavily practical in nature, with 90 per cent of the sessions devoted to experiments and projects and only 10 per cent to classroom theory.

Students will perform 10 carefully designed experiments during the course, covering real-world applications of electronics, robotics and basic scientific principles. Each student will receive two hours a week of dedicated lab time.

Each robotics lab is being established at a cost of Rs 40 lakh and will be equipped with 11 types of advanced kits, including robotics STEM workstations, design and prototype virtual labs, multifunctional robotics kits and a smart dustbin programme.

Apart from robotics, students will also be introduced to foundational concepts in physics and electronics using real-life problem-solving models.

At the end of the programme, Anna University will conduct practical assessments, and students who successfully complete the course will receive certificates issued by the university.

The robotics labs were originally planned under the centrally sponsored Samagra Shiksha scheme, with a proposal to establish such facilities in 38 schools across all districts. However, the Union government later withheld the approved funds, citing differences with the state over the three-language formula linked to PM SHRI schools.

Following this setback, the Tamil Nadu government decided to fully fund the initiative on its own and implement it in phases.

In the first phase, robotics labs are being set up in 15 districts, including Chennai, Kancheepuram, Kanyakumari, Pudukkottai, Vellore, Salem, Thoothukudi, Tirupathur, Tiruvarur, Dharmapuri, Tiruchirappalli, Kallakurichi, Coimbatore, Sivaganga, and Virudhunagar.

After the syllabus and textbooks are finalised, formal student training in these labs will begin, marking a major step toward integrating future-ready skills into government school education.

/IANS