Thiruvananthapuram: KITE, the technology arm of Kerala's general education department, on Tuesday launched a statewide robotics training programme for all Class 10 students, marking a new phase in the technological advancement of public education.

The initiative aims to benefit around 4.5 lakh students in government and aided schools, KITE CEO K Anvar Sadath said. The workshops, led by the student-driven IT network Little KITES, will be completed in all schools by January 15.

The programme is designed to provide hands-on exposure to robotics concepts introduced in the revised Class 10 IT textbook and help students prepare for the upcoming SSLC examinations.

Training will be conducted in two sessions. The first focuses on creating awareness about robotics and its applications, while introducing basic system components such as sensors, microcontrollers and actuators. The second session emphasises practical training, including block-based coding using PictoBlox software.

Each workshop will be conducted by trained Little KITES members, with one robotic kit for every four to five students. Schools without Little KITES units will receive support from nearby schools.