Galway school launches pilot program to teach primary pupils coding and AI
By Éabha Lenaghan
A new initiative aimed at equipping children with coding and artificial intelligence (AI) skills has been launched at a primary school in County Galway.
The pilot program, based at Trinity Primary School in Tuam, aims to prepare students, particularly those in DEIS schools, for an increasingly digital world. It also aims to address a significant gap in Ireland’s computing education system.
Led by the University of Galway’s School of Education and supported by a grant from Google.org, the project will engage 80 schools and up to 2,000 pupils over the next two years.
A key focus of the initiative is to support teachers, who often lack the resources, time, or specific training to teach these technical subjects effectively.
The project will offer upskilling workshops for educators, demonstrating how to integrate computing and AI into other curriculum subjects. This approach is designed to enhance standard lessons with practical digital skills.
Pupils involved in the pilot will learn to code robots to draw patterns and shapes, and use AI to compose music and songs.
Professor Cornelia Connolly of the University of Galway said the initiative was vital for Ireland’s future.
“To grow our digital economy, Ireland needs an advanced workforce ready to take advantage of the opportunities digital transformation brings,” she said.
“Supporting our teachers and embedding these competencies within formal education is the way to do that.”
She added that it was crucial for young people to “navigate misinformation and other AI-related challenges,” as well as to become “skillful developers and operators of AI.”
The pilot will initially focus on DEIS and rural schools in the west of Ireland, with plans to expand nationwide if successful.
It forms part of a broader nationwide computing education project involving Trinity College Dublin and the University of Limerick.
