SAHIWAL: Up to 500 matriculation students, including 200 girls, from public schools in Sahiwal received free interactive introductory training on IT, artificial intelligence (AI), and emerging technologies.

The initiative is part of a partnership programme between the district government and the Computer Science Department of Comsats University Islamabad (CUI). The training, which will run for the next two weeks, aims to benefit 1,000 students in total.

Deputy Commissioner Shahid Mahmood said the short sessions aimed at equipping public school students with foundational knowledge in IT, AI and emerging technologies, inspiring and preparing them for a tech-driven future.

He said many 9th and 10th-grade students in the public sector come from lower-income backgrounds and have limited exposure to IT and related technologies. As a result, many of these students spend their time on social media platforms without realising they can access AI knowledge through their mobile devices.

The interactive courses are designed to provide students with a vision of the future, introducing them to AI, cybersecurity, software design and computer coding.

More than 10 resource persons are conducting the training sessions, which last 4-5 hours daily. Local school campuses and halls are being used for the sessions, with the district government covering all logistical costs. Each batch consists of 40-60 students.

Khadim Hussain Mohal, district education officer (Secondary), said that students from 11 government high schools for boys and girls are participating in the training.

Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2025