Chennai, September 15: Government schools in remote and geographically challenging areas of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly those facing shortages of subject teachers, can seek academic support from IIT Madras through its School Connect programme, which provides students with online learning, mentoring, career guidance and exposure to emerging fields.
Director of IIT Madras, Prof Kamakoti Veezhinathan, said the institute mentors schools through the programme and exposes students to diverse academic disciplines, helping them make informed choices about higher education and careers while also improving their performance in Classes 10 and 12.
Interacting with a group of journalists from Kashmir during an exposure visit to Tamil Nadu facilitated by PIB Srinagar, Prof Kamakoti said the programme had demonstrated how access to quality teachers and academic resources could make a significant difference for students in underserved areas.
Sharing an example from the post-COVID period, he said one of IIT Madras’s centres had identified three girls whose school did not have a biology teacher. The students were interested in the subject and wanted to pursue it but were performing poorly in their model examinations.
“We arranged for a good biology teacher to teach them in Tamil for 45 days. After that, when they appeared for their examination, those three girls scored 90 per cent in biology,” he said.
“The lesson we are learning from IIT Madras is that intelligence is everywhere. Intelligence is not just in cities,” Prof Kamakoti said.
He said IIT Madras currently works with thousands of schools and centres through its various outreach initiatives and supports students in school education as well as preparation for competitive examinations.
Prof Kamakoti said the institute would be willing to extend similar assistance to schools in Jammu and Kashmir if requests were received.
“We are already doing it in some schools of Ladakh. We can do the same in J&K,” he said.
The School Connect programme provides students exposure to 17 future-focused disciplines through courses developed and delivered by faculty from IIT Madras and other leading institutions. The areas include Data Science and AI, Aerospace, Cybersecurity, Electronic Systems, Chemical Engineering, Molecular Engineering, Architecture and Design, Product Design, Law, Economics and Finance, Humanities, Ecology, Digital Humanities, Game Technology, Mathematics and Computing, and Engineering Biological Systems.
Prof Andrew Thangaraj, Chairperson of the Centre for Outreach and Digital Education (CODE), IIT Madras, said the programme had now been expanded to include Class IX students for the first time, alongside students of Classes 10, 11 and 12.
“Early exposure helps students discover diverse career paths ahead of time, giving them the clarity needed to confidently choose their Class 11th and 12th streams,” he said.
Applications for the October 2026 cohort are currently open, with September 30 as the deadline. The courses will commence on October 5 and are open to students of Classes 9 to 12.
Thangaraj said schools seeking to provide students with early exposure to emerging career pathways could partner with IIT Madras through School Connect.
Since its inception, the programme has partnered with more than 4,900 schools, including over 60 outside India, and benefited more than 1.75 lakh students. IIT Madras CODE aims to expand the programme to 25,000 schools across the country in the coming years.
“School Connect was built to give students an opportunity to explore, experience and understand different fields before making important academic choices,” Thangaraj said.
He said the expansion to Class IX was particularly significant as early exposure gives students more time to discover their interests and make informed academic decisions.
Thangaraj also invited parents of Kashmiri students to explore the initiative, saying exposure to diverse fields could help children move beyond conventional career choices.
“These introductory courses will help children studying in Class IX and X decide which group to take; and for those in Class XI and XII, exposure to various fields will help them choose the right degree pathway,” he said.
Prof Prathap Haridas, Dean Academics, IIT Madras, said early exposure could significantly shape how students understand their interests and future opportunities.
“Through School Connect, we want to help Kashmiri students explore diverse fields, broaden their horizons and make informed choices about their future,” he said.
The courses are developed and delivered by faculty from IIT Madras and other leading institutions. Each course is an eight-week online learning experience comprising pre-recorded lectures, live sessions, assignments and computer-based assessments. Students completing the prescribed requirements receive an official e-certificate from IIT Madras CODE.
Comments are closed.