Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE), the technology arm of the state’s General Education Department, has begun a statewide robotics training programme for Class 10 students.

Officials described the initiative as another milestone in Kerala’s public education technology drive.

KITE CEO K Anvar Sadath said the programme aims to benefit around 4.5 lakh students studying in government and aided schools across the state.

The workshops — carried out by Little KITES, billed as the country’s largest student-led IT network — are expected to be completed in all schools by January 15.

The initiative is aligned with the updated Class 10 IT textbook and is intended to give students hands-on practice with robotics concepts ahead of the SSLC exams, Sadath said.

Two-part training programme
The training is divided into two key sessions.

The first session introduces students to the significance of robotics and its use across different sectors. Learners will also get familiar with the main parts of a robotic system — sensors (input), microcontrollers (processing), and actuators (output). They will also handle components included in KITE’s robotics kit, such as the Arduino UNO board, breadboards and LEDs.

The second session is fully practical. Students will use PictoBlox, a block-based coding software, to complete basic tasks such as blinking LEDs and using buzzers.

Workshops will be held under the guidance of trained Little KITES members and school mentors. To ensure meaningful engagement, each kit will be shared among groups of four to five students.

Schools that do not have Little KITES units have been advised to conduct the camps with support from neighbouring units.

Sadath said the project aims to make every Class 10 student comfortable with modern technology by using high-tech labs and preparing them for future career opportunities in an increasingly robotics-driven world.