Sikkim Government Rolls Out AI-Powered 'AI-FunZone' Learning Program in 71 Public Schools
The Education Department of the Government of Sikkim, in collaboration with the Bengaluru-based EkStep Foundation, has officially launched an artificial intelligence learning program named 'AI-FunZone' across 71 government schools in Gangtok district. The initiative focuses on enhancing foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) for approximately 2,100 students in Grades 3, 4, and 5.
Implemented across the Khamdong, Nandok, and Martam educational blocks, the program incorporates a dedicated 60-minute daily learning session into the regular school schedule. Using adaptive AI software on computers and shared digital devices, the system listens to students read, evaluates mathematical problem-solving steps in real time, identifies specific learning gaps, and instantly customizes practice tasks to each child's individual learning speed.
State education officials emphasized that the technology is designed to complement teachers rather than replace them. The platform provides teachers with live analytical dashboards showing individual student progress, enabling targeted classroom interventions. By offering non-evaluative, gamified practice in English, Nepali, and Mathematics, the AI-FunZone initiative aims to build academic confidence and eliminate early learning deficits in rural and mountain school environments.
