The Hindu 05.10.2010
Coimbatore Corporation to introduce smart classrooms
Staff Reporter
COIMBATORE: Coimbatore Corporation would introduce smart classrooms in eight schools, Anshul Mishra, Commissioner, said here on Monday.
These classrooms would have interactive boards that came with electronic pens, projectors and laptops, he told reporters here. Teachers could dispense with chalks and use the boards.
The eight schools, all higher secondary schools, would be covered in the first phase, and other schools would be covered later, he added..
The necessary software, customised for Tamil Nadu syllabus, came with the boards and being a new venture, the Corporation had sought the help of the Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu - both for technical support and guidance on expenditure.
And, teachers would be trained to handle the smart classrooms.
Mr. Mishra said the Corporation would also embark on a project to network all schools. The proposal would cover all its 32 schools so as to facilitate easy movement of files and communication.
A committee had been set up for the purpose which would guide the civic body.
Based on the committee's suggestion, the Corporation would prepare an estimate and float tender.
The civic body had carried out several infrastructural development works in the past four years, he added. On the quality of education, he said there was a proposal to provide additional foundation skill training for students of lower classes.
Soft skills
To impart soft skill training to higher class students, the civic body had tied up with a private agency.
Soft skill The corporation was also focussing on extra curricular activities. Just as a private agency had been hired to provide soft skill training, another would be engaged for extra curricular activities. Students would compete with schoolmates, with other Corporation school students, with students in the same zone and with those across the city.
Mr. Mishra said it was part of the efforts to make Corporation school students on a par with those from private schools.
To a question on student-teacher ratio, he said, as per Government norms, the civic body was maintaining the same at 40:1.
