CBSE took AI out of Class 9. Here is what families can do now
31 October 2026 · Taz Team
The short version: press reports say a CBSE circular dated 29 October removes the Computational Thinking and AI modules from Class 9 for 2026-27. The board says this aligns the subject with its implementation schedule. Coverage counts it as the sixth change to that curriculum in seven months, and CBSE has not said when these modules return to the core Class 9 plan.
If you are a parent, the honest reaction is tiredness. But computational thinking was never really about a module. It is a handful of habits, and most of them need a pencil rather than a laptop.
First, what has not changed
Reports say AI remains among the skill subjects students can choose from, and vocational education is now compulsory. So ask your school two plain questions: will it offer AI as a skill subject this year, and what does the study plan sent with the circular say? Check the circular and FAQ on the CBSE website yourself, because a summary (including this one) can miss detail.
Five habits to build at home
1. Break a chore into steps a stranger could follow
Ask your child to write the steps for making tea, then follow them exactly as written. "Add water" to what? The laughter is the lesson. That is what writing instructions for a computer feels like.
2. Hunt for a pattern before calculating
Add 1 + 2 + 3 up to 100 without a calculator. The child who pairs 1 with 100 and 2 with 99 has spotted the shortcut. Spotting structure is the core of the skill.
3. Sort something with a rule
Sort a stack of old cards or coins, and time two methods. Which is faster when the pile doubles? They have just met the idea behind sorting algorithms.
4. Ask whether the machine is right
Give a chatbot a question from their textbook, then check the answer against the book. Finding one wrong answer teaches more about AI than a chapter on what AI is.
5. Predict, test, explain
Before any experiment, write the prediction down. Afterwards, explain the gap. This one habit also carries Class 9 science, which is staying put.
What we would not do
We would not rush to buy a coding course because of this news. Nothing here is urgent enough to pay for in a panic, and the curriculum may move again.
Where Taz fits
We build Taz, so we have an interest here. It is a personal STEM simulations engine: you ask a question and test it in a 3D lab. It helps with the fifth habit, but every other habit on this list works with no app, including ours. There are also 100 home challenges with short films and no sign-up.