ALAPPUZHA: Apart from 319 in the Alappuzha Assembly segment, 2,225 more classrooms at 325 government and aided schools in the district will turn hi-tech by September at an estimated cost of Rs 25 crore. IT @ School executive director K. Anvar Sadath said each classroom of these higher secondary and vocational higher secondary schools would be provided with a laptop, multimedia projector, whiteboard, high-speed internet connectivity and a sound system.
Lockers and shelf facilities are set up. Three-tier training has been already given to teachers. More teachers will be given special training on information communication technology (ICT) and information technology (IT). "The hardware will be distributed after conducting school survey and audit," he said. Earlier in February, they were made available at 18 high schools, ten higher secondary schools and two vocational higher secondary schools including 13 aided and five government schools in the assembly constituency.
The deployment is the culmination of a year-long effort by education department improving their infrastructure - tiled classroom floors, a dust-free environment and false ceilings. They will have a regular power supply. Preparation of appropriate study material is also part of the project, for which the government has committed to spending Rs 1,000 crore every year.
Parents and teachers believe the hi-tech classrooms will change the public perception of state schools. It introduces visual-based education system instead of current 'narrative style' teaching. V. Mohandas, an education activist here, hopes it will help develop technical skills of students. "For instance, when a teacher narrates a story on rabbit and tortoise, they can show the visuals on the digital screen. That not only enhances their creativity but also make them capable of taking up challenges of the competitive world," he says.
