Class 10 students of Zilla Parishad High School at Penugonda, a remote village in the district, are set to learn high-end courses from IIT Madras under ‘School Connect Programme’ aimed at bridging the gap between school education and higher education.
The programme provides students of Class 10 as well as classes 11 and 12 hands-on career experience through introductory courses such as Data Science and AI, Aerospace, Architecture and Design, Electronic Systems, Environmental Engineering, Biological Systems, Humanities and others with a duration of eight weeks.
Explaining the importance of the initiative, a physical chemistry teacher at ZPHS, Penugonda Dr V Gurunatha Rao said the programme represents a breakthrough in accessibility and quality education.
The students would have the rare opportunity to learn directly from IIT faculty, gain hands-on experience through real-world projects and explore career paths previously unknown to many in rural areas, he explained.
Dr Gurunatha Rao, acting as the single point of contact (SPOC) for the programme, said each course includes recorded lectures, interactive live sessions, assignments, and computer-based assessments. The courses could bring clarity on future career options.
It is a revolutionary step to make higher education opportunities available in rural areas as well. On successful completion, students receive e-certificates from IIT Madras, a prestigious addition to students’ academic portfolio.
Exposure like this could shape students’ mindsets, fuel ambition and unlock possibilities. It levels the playing field and allows students in remote villages like Penugonda to dream as big as their urban counterparts, he noted.
According to Dr Gurunatha Rao, as many as 45 schools in erstwhile Warangal district and 20 schools in erstwhile Khammam have registered for the programme. In all, 63 ZPHS and seven government schools registered for the programme in Telangana as on July 16.
