In order to bridge the digital gap between the students from poor and the rich backgrounds, a scheme has been introduced in UK. This scheme aims to give free laptops to pupils from poor backgrounds is being rolled out to 270,000 families in England. The
Cisco debuts Industry accredited Networking Event at Bahrain
Cisco's industry-accredited networking forum with support from HRH, the Crown Prince of Bahrain, is to provide a pioneering innovation technology content for customers and partners across Europe, Middle East and Africa. Cisco Networkers Bahrain 2010 will take take place at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, from 28 to 31 March 2010. For the first time Middle East is to see an industry-accredited networking forum. It has been developed in collaboration with the government of Bahrain and with the support of Crown Prince His Highness Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa. Networkers Bahrain represents a key milestone for Cisco in terms of furthering its commitment and ongoing investment in the Middle East.
Additionally, the forum will deliver pioneering innovation technology content for visiting customers and partners from South Africa. The key factors that the forum is meant to deliver include education and training to information and communications technology (ICT) professionals through compelling forums with in-depth technical demonstrations, networking opportunities and glimpses of current and future trends. The events are to offer unique ICT educational and networking opportunity that can enhance business growth. The global theme for Cisco Networkers 2010 is 'Knowledge Is Power'.
ICT Awards give a reason to Children to Celebrate
Children at Field End Junior School have been awarded for being at the forefront of using information and communication technology to enhance their work. Following an extensive external assessment the school, in Field End Road, Eastcote, has been awarded the prestigious ICT mark by the British Education Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA), the government funded body responsible for promoting the use of ICT in Britain's schools and colleges. The award recognises the school's success in developing the strategic use of ICT in both administration and across the curriculum. Denise Gray, ICT advisor for Hillingdon Council, presented the children with the award on Friday.
Science and Technology Park to be built at Apirede
The government of Ghana will build a Science and Technology Park at Apirede to help in the development of Information, Communication and Technology(ICT) and to create jobs for the youth. The Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology has started to acquire land for the project. The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, said this at a durbar to climax the Odwira Festival of the chiefs and people of Apirede and the 15th anniversary of the installation of Nana Saforo Okoampah III as the chief of Apirede. He said the Eastern Regional Co-ordinating Council had planned to develop facilities at Akaa and Akyeremanteng waterfalls to develop the tourism industry under a public/private sector development programme to help create employment in the area and to generate revenue for the Akuapem North District Assembly. The government was funding the acquisition of two water pumps, one to be installed at Kpong Water Works and the other at Adukrom water head works to improve the supply of water to the Akuapem area.
He said he would support efforts to get the Apirede to Trom junction road tarred to help improve road transportation in the area. The Member of Parliament for Okere, Mr Dan Botwe, appealed to citizens of Apirede to contribute to the implementation of the five-year development plan of the town the traditional authorities had initiated. He said he would do his part as the MP for the area to see to the realization of the plan and that he would use part of his Common Fund to help complete the town's community clinic. Mr Botwe expressed concern about the falling standard of education in the area and said as part of his contribution to ensure that no school in the constituency gets zero per cent at this year's Basic Education Certificate Examination, he is funding a one-week residential extra classes for all third year pupils in schools that are likely to score zero per cent to try and instil some confidence in the pupils.
The Akuapem North District Chief Executive, Mr George Opare Addo, expressed concern about opposition mounted against the initiation of almost all development projects in Apirede and urged those behind it to stop to ensure the development of the town. Nana Okoampah enumerated achievements that had been made by the town within the last 15 years including the settlement of a 50-year-old chieftaincy dispute in the town and the establishment of an education fund to support brilliant but needy students. He said the town wanted to sustain the achievement so far made and to improve on it and as a result of which it had come out with a five-year development plan that would end in 2014. Nana Okoampah said under the plan, for the next five years, the town would improve education, infrastructure development, ensure efficient water and sanitation, create employment opportunities for the youth and develop the tourism potential in the area.
Five new IITs to have own campuses
Bowing to resistance from existing IITs, government on Wednesday decided that five of the six new institutes of excellence will have to set up their campuses separately from the coming session. HRD (Higher Education) Secretary R P Agarwal held a meeting with Directors of seven IIT Directors here to decide on the issue which has been a matter of controversy after the government suggested that the new institutes, started last year, should be mentored by the existing ones till they find their own space. During the meeting, it was decided that five out of the six new IITs would set up their own campuses separate from the existing ones.
'From the coming session, the new IITs will not be run at the mentor institutes. They will be shifted to their own campus. But the case of IIT Rajasthan may be delayed,' an IIT Director informed PTI after the meeting. Accordingly, IIT Bhubaneswar and IIT Punjab, which are functioning at their mentoring IITs in Kharagpur and Delhi at present, will be shifted to their own campuses from the coming academic session. Three others, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Gandhinagar and IIT Patna, are already running from temporary campuses.
IGNOU launches course one gender studies
The School of Gender and Development Studies of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) will launch master's course in gender and development studies. The course will be based on face-to-face lecture mode (classroom teaching). Classes for the course will commence from July.
Mobile technology to aid in supplying content to remote schools
Telefonica and Nokia have signed a strategic agreement to bring educational content to remote schools in Latin America through the use of mobile technology. The two industry giants made a commitment to transform the delivery of education in isolated areas as a way to close the digital inclusion gap in the region and promote social development. The agreement will help expand the current scope of Telefonica Foundation's 'Pronino' and 'Educared' social programs – two of the most important private initiatives focused on using information and communications technologies in the improvement of the quality of education in the region- and complement Nokia's ongoing work to harness the power of mobile technology for social development. During the annual Telefonica Leadership Conference, which is taking place this week in Miami, Telefonica COO Julio Linares, said, 'This agreement fits our Spirit of Progress, which implies that we want to enhance people's lives as well as the progress of the communities where we operate, by delivering innovative services based on information and communications technologies. Wireless connectivity opens up strong opportunities of development and integration in Latin America.'
Nokia's CEO, Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, who was a guest speaker at the conference, said, 'This partnership demonstrates the significant social benefits that mobile technology can deliver, reaching communities and children who previously had very limited educational opportunity in an inspiring and accessible way.' The first implementation of this agreement is planned for Chile, where Telefonica's mobile broadband and Nokia's advanced mobile software Nokia Education Delivery will enable isolated schools in Chile to have access to high quality educational content, including the most innovative resources, tools and services for students, fathers and teachers via Educared. The agreement will be later expanded to other countries in Latin America and will prioritize schools where Pronino works. Pronino and EducaRed will thereby be able to ameliorate educational quality through ICT application to learning processes in some of their rural schools without fixed broadband connectivity.
Over 1Lac Government Schools to get computer education
On Saturday an approval was made for introduction of computer education at the secondary and senior secondary levels, in 108,000 government and government-aided schools, up from the existing 53,000, in a bid to bridge the digital divide. Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal told that the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), approved a scheme of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in government and government-aided schools during the XIth plan period (2007-12) to cover a total of 1.08 lakh such schools, in a meeting presided by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. It is expected that around 1.5 crore students would benefit from the scheme, which would also help train 10 lakh teachers in computer literacy.
It was also reported that out of a total of INR 6,926.13 crore under the revised scheme INR 6,000 crore will be borne by the centre and the balance by the states in the 75:25 ratio. In North Eastern states, the ration will be 90:10. According to Sibal, the implementation of the scheme 'would help to bridge the digital divide'. Educationally backward blocks and areas would be prioritised with special attention on scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, minorities and weaker sections and the disabled.
Wipro conducts all-India online test successfully with MeritTrac
Wipro, in collaboration with MeritTrac successfully conducted a national-level online common entrance test for admissions to Wipro Academy of Software Excellence (WASE). The test was conducted for admissions to their Master of Science program, WASE, which is an off-campus 'earn while you learn' program pioneered by Wipro in collaboration with BITS, Pilani. MeritTrac, India's largest test & assessment company was the partner for this exam. The national level test was conducted between 13th and 20th December across 29 cities, in 44 testing centers, with 24,000 candidates being scheduled for the exam. The entire test delivery process achieved a success rate of 99.8%. Pradeep Bahirwani, Vice-President, Talent Acquisition said, 'Wipro firmly believes in the power of the online medium and that the online exams are the future of assessment systems. We decided to go ahead with our series of online tests with MeritTrac and completed the assessments on schedule to the complete satisfaction of all the stake holders. It was a great experience for us as well as the candidates.' He also said, 'The success of the WASE assessment test has been very encouraging and Wipro will be using the online assessment model for campus recruitments and other hiring needs.'
The test was conducted using the Pariksha platform for large-scale, high-stakes exams, which was launched by MeritTrac in November 2009. Madan Padaki, Co-Founder & CEO, MeritTrac commented, 'We are proud to have partnered with Wipro on this initiative of online exams. The successful conduct of this exam reiterates our belief that with a clearly defined exam process, appropriate technology, trained people and efficient project management, it is possible to deliver online exams successfully.' 'Earlier this year, MeritTrac had conducted the Gujarat Common Entrance Test (GCET 2009) for over 23,000 candidates across 11 cities in Gujarat. The Online GCET project recently won the Chairman Distinction Award at the Manthan South Asia Awards 2009 in Delhi. 'This is just the beginning. Several educational institutions, Governments and large organizations have shown active interest in taking their assessments online on the Pariksha platform,' added Padaki.
WASE is a four year, eight semester course where the candidates train with Wipro and work on live projects on weekdays and attend classes over the weekends. The first seven semesters comprises of course work, with the eighth semester being a dissertation. At the end of four years, candidates get an MS degree from BITS, Pilani equivalent to their full-time two year MS degree program. Wipro bears the entire course fee and also pays the WASE candidates a monthly stipend for the duration of the course (four years).
Knowledge of ICT equips students to face challenges of globalisation
The Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister of Ghana, Ms. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey has said sound knowledge of students in Information Communication Technology (ICT) would fully equip students to meet the challenges of the complex technology environment.< ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
Learning effective methods of communication becomes essential to those who are charged with the responsibility of preparing students for the job market. She has observed that globalisation poses a serious challenge to education in the country and stressed the need to identify and mobilise resources to teach major foreign languages in schools.
