IE Education provides low cost IT solutions for setting up Interactive learning centres – Language Labs, Math Lab, other applications and Multimedia Class solutions. Sudarshan Borker, Business Head, IE Education Private Limited shares his insights on school education in Gujarat
The ICT@School Project that Gujarat has implemented, in partnership with NIIT and Educomp Solutions, reaches out to 3600 schools in the state. Similar programs can be extended to other schools. The effectiveness of such partnerships will solely depend on teacher training and their assessment. The success of the program will depend on how the teachers make use of the ICT enabled tools. One has to ensure that teachers do not view this aid as an additional burden.
A simple, easy-to-understand and easy-to-maintain solution has to be provided. Apart from the fact that the hardware must be easy to use, the maintenance issues have to be taken care of promptly. There must be regular updates and improvements of the software should also be encouraged. This can be achieved if teachers are asked to involve themselves in understanding and creating ICT enabled content and making use of the free and huge database of content already available on the web. Children must also be encouraged to contribute.
‘A whole in the wall’ project is a proof of the fact that children in rural areas will be as quick in understanding technology and exploring knowledge database if they are provided with the right tools and guidance.
Gujarat to Leapfrog
With CCE implementation, it has become a must for most schools to encourage scholastic, as well as co-scholastic teaching and learning in classrooms. ICT tools can be used extensively in Gujarat schools to achieve the co-scholastic outcome by ensuring effective implementation of English Language Lab, Math and Science Labs, and Multimedia Classrooms. The biggest challenge private schools and Government aided schools face in implementing the above solutions is teacher training and costs related to installation and maintenance. The challenge here is to find a cost effective and long-term solution.
Reaching the Last Mile
Projects like the ‘Hole in the wall’ were very successful in the rural areas because they provided children the learning edge. A concept like ‘Schools on Wheel’ is a great tool not only for reaching out to the needy, but also to keep them interested in learning and completing their modules. The training of the educators is important. The volunteers/teachers will have to be flexible in their approach and they should be trained with the aim of widening the scope of their teaching.
On eINDIA 2011
Events like the eINDIA are a boost to any state where it has been held, it is a platform for school, administrators and service providers to interact and also educated school about new available technologies and improvements happening in this field.
