kochi: Taking a leaf out of the Chinese experience which propelled a boom in the electronic industry, the Kerala government is planning to introduce electronics as part of the state high school curriculum.

The IT@School project and the Department of IT have sent a proposal to this effect to the general education department.

The proposal says the students who opt for the add on course in electronics will get a running kit with tools and gadgets such as switch, motor and sensor.

It also seeks to set up labs in schools where students can work on the gadgets with various concepts. They can also come up with their own innovations.

General education secretary A Shajahan told DC that he will discuss the proposal with the State Council Educational Research and Training (SCERT) and it will place it before the curriculum committee before proceeding.

The idea is to start the course on pilot basis in 50 schools. Electronic Park under Kinfra and the Startup Village, Kochi, have come forward to offer the leadership and guidance for running the course. "It is a case of young generation moulding the next generation," said an IT@School official.

“The boom in the electronic sector in China was due to the early introduction of students to the subject in schools. Hence we too have decided to follow the model," said the IT@School official.

"IT is a subject at the school level now and adding electronics to it will give a new dimension to education. Electronics is the cutting edge to IT and what misses in today's education is that," said the official.

The proposal came up in the discussions IT Principal Secretary P H Kurian had with IT@School Executive Director K P Noufal, it is learnt.