The New Indian Express 29.11.2010
Internet, e-mail in government schools
The department’s earlier initiatives to introduce computer education in schools in the state include e-Mahiti Sindhu and the Revised Class projects, followed by the first two phases of the ICT.
ICT phase III aims to provide students exposure to internet and e-mail and provide instruction via computers.
“Educational CDs will be used for instructing students,” said D S Rajanna, Director, Department of Primary and Secondary Education.
The project is being implemented at a cost of `426 crore and 4,396 schools across the state, including 1,763 government secondary schools under Mahiti Sindhu project, 11th finance commission and Revised Class projects, and 2,633 government-aided high schools will be brought under its ambit.
Schools having lesser than 300 children on rolls will be classified into category A and those having more than 300 children into category B.
Category A and category B schools will be provided with 10 and 15 desktops respectively. This is in addition to the computers that were supplied to the schools under the Mahitya Sindhu project.
“We are looking at providing one computer for every three students,” Rajanna added, while detailing that a scanner, printer, projector, UPS and batteries along with necessary furniture will be supplied to schools.
Qualified teachers will be outsourced through various agencies for conducting classes. ICT phase III is expected to begin by the end of this academic year, while the required material will be sent to the schools by January 2011.
The primary and secondary education department will provide desktop computers to 108 students in 34 districts who had excelled in the SSLC exams this year.
Three toppers per district have been identified for the same.
Officials are yet to decide on a suitable date and time to hand over the prizes to such students.
