Nagpur: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has set computational thinking (CT) and artificial intelligence (AI) as the focus for training in the 2026-27 academic year, instructing all affiliated schools to integrate these topics into the curriculum for Classes 3 to 8 starting this session.The notification, issued by CBSE’s training unit, introduced a structured curriculum on CT and AI aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023. The curriculum aims to develop logical thinking, systematic problem-solving, pattern recognition and an understanding of the ethical use of AI among students.Schools are to conduct three types of activities during the session. The first is district-level deliberations (DLDs), which are offline one-day workshops where groups of schools or Sahodaya School Complexes collaborate to share and discuss innovative classroom practices on CT and AI for Classes 3 to 8. Each workshop is equivalent to six hours of school-based continuing professional development. The second activity consists of expert-led talks, either online or offline, lasting half a day and counting as three CPD hours. The third involves regional workshops organized by CBSE’s Centres of Excellence, with a registration fee of Rs700 per teacher.During the DLD workshops, up to 16 schools can present case studies on best practices, with each presentation lasting 25 minutes. An appreciation committee, including an external CT or AI educator from a college or university and two experienced principals or teachers, will select the top three papers from each district. The best papers at the national level, assessed sub-theme wise, will be showcased at the National Teachers Conference.Seven sub-themes have been announced for the DLDs, covering the basics of CT and AI readiness, advanced pedagogy for CT from Classes 3 to 8, mathematics as the foundation of CT and AI, interdisciplinary connections at the middle stage, AI in real-world applications, assessment strategies, and the ethics and responsible use of AI. DLDs can commence from April 2026. Centres of Excellence are required to submit a six-month plan to CBSE headquarters by May 1.
