West Bengal Schools to Teach Coding, Robotics in Classes 5-8

West Bengal will introduce Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a new subject for Classes 5 to 8 in state-run schools from the upcoming academic session, covering coding, robotics, Python and information technology. School Education Minister Dipak Barman said books and a structured syllabus will be distributed during the January session alongside other core textbooks, according to a Times of India report on 4 November 2026.

The move sits alongside other state school digital pushes, from Jashpur’s AI, coding and robotics classrooms to Karnataka’s plan to staff 194 Atal Tinkering Labs. Separately, the state will supply free third-language textbooks for Hindi, Sanskrit and Arabic for Classes 7 and 8.

What West Bengal ICT will cover in Classes 5–8

Barman said the new ICT subject will include robotics, coding, Python and information technology. Textbooks will reach schools in the January session with other core books, so upper-primary students can start the module in the new academic year rather than waiting for a mid-year add-on.

Members of the state syllabus committee said the curriculum is designed to bring government schools closer to CBSE and CISCE frameworks that already carry technology modules. For West Bengal, that means coding and related skills move from optional enrichment into the regular upper-primary timetable.

Why it matters for state school students

National data still show a wide gap between digital ambition and classroom reality. UDISE+ 2025-26 found that about one in three Indian schools still has no working computer even as AI and coding curricula expand. West Bengal’s ICT subject will only deliver if labs, devices and connectivity keep pace—an issue other states are trying to close through smart classroom upgrades in Marathwada model schools and similar programmes.

Starting ICT from Class 5 also gives government-school students earlier exposure than many state boards that introduce coding only at secondary level. If the syllabus is taught well, learners can build foundational computational thinking before they choose streams at Class 9 and 10.

Teacher shortage remains the main risk

School heads told the Times of India they worry about specialised teachers. One headmaster said that when the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education introduced artificial intelligence and data science a few years ago, excitement faded because trained staff were scarce and computer science teachers had to cover those classes. The same gap at upper primary, they warned, would make ICT hard to deliver well.

That capacity question is familiar across India: labs without trainers underperform, which is why states are pairing hardware with people—whether through ATL trainers, district AI advisories such as Bihar’s push for AI use in government schools, or district-level recruitment. West Bengal has not yet announced a dedicated teacher-training plan for the new ICT subject.

Key takeaways

• West Bengal will introduce ICT for Classes 5–8 in state-run schools from the next academic session.
• The subject will cover coding, robotics, Python and information technology, with books in the January session.
• Syllabus committee members say the move aligns state schools with CBSE and CISCE tech modules.
• School heads flag a shortage of specialised teachers as the biggest delivery risk.

FAQ

From when will West Bengal teach ICT in Classes 5–8?

From the upcoming academic session. Books and the structured syllabus will be distributed during the January session with other core textbooks, Dipak Barman said.

What will the West Bengal ICT subject include?

Coding, robotics, Python and information technology, introduced as Information and Communication Technology for Classes 5 to 8 in state-run schools.

Will third-language books also be free?

Yes. The state will provide free third-language textbooks for Hindi, Sanskrit and Arabic for Classes 7 and 8.

Featured image: West Bengal School Education Minister Dipak Barman. Photo: Rishan Hossain / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)