Students of Classes 9 to 12 in West Bengal government schools will soon receive training in digital content creation, with the state government deciding to set up Digital Content Creator Labs in 500 schools over the next five years. The initiative aims to equip around one lakh students annually with future-ready skills in animation, gaming, visual effects, and storytelling.
The Education Department issued a letter in this regard to the secondary school inspector of each district on July 14.
“In total, one lakh students will be given this training every year. If the decision is implemented, the students will have a proper understanding of several subjects, including digital creativity, literacy, storytelling, and comics. Attention is also being paid to making the students enthusiastic about information technology and visual animation,” the letter said.
Making students future-ready
The labs will expose the students to future-ready skills in animation, visual effects, gaming, comics, and extended reality (AVGC-XR) Sector, it said.
The letter further stated that the Information Technology and Electronics (IT&E) Department requires details of the existing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and computer lab infrastructure in schools, along with information on available human resources, before rolling out the project.
The department has circulated a Google Form, directing school authorities to submit the required details by July 22. Mrinmoy Roy, Malda District Inspector (Secondary Education), confirmed receiving the directive. “We have received a directive regarding the Digital Content Creator Labs, and action is being taken in accordance with the government’s directions,” he said.
Skilled workforce for digital economy
According to sources in the Education Department, the initiative is part of a broader effort by the Centre and the state government to create a skilled workforce for the digital economy and expand employment opportunities in the creative technology sector.
However, officials remained guarded on the challenges associated with the rollout, particularly the availability of adequately trained teachers to impart specialised digital content creation skills.
A senior Education Department officer said the proposed labs would help prepare students for careers in the fast-growing digital media and creative technology industries.
This initiative aligns with the Union Budget 2026–27, where Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced a major push to strengthen skills in the rapidly expanding AVGC-XR Sector (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics and Extended Reality). In her budget speech, she proposed the setting up of content creator labs in around 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges across the country. As a first step toward implementing this plan, the state school education department is assessing existing school lab infrastructure to determine the extent of the upgrades required.