The Orissa state government of India has created an online database of all 98 lakh children between the 1-14 year age group.
The data base will help the education authorities to start projects and programmes, specifically for remote areas or schools. The state government wants to use the Sarva Sikhya Abhiyan to enroll all children between 6-14 years of age in schools. Of the total 61 lakh children in the age group of 6 years to 14 years, about 55 lakh students have been enrolled in schools.
The Kenyan Government will supply electricity to public secondary schools of the country, as the first step towards integration of ICT in the education sector.
Around 228 schools would be put on the national grid by end of June. Finland had embarked on a programme to supply power to rural public schools. The Communications Commission of Kenya will provide Internet access to rural schools. Nepad's e-Schools initiative has received support from stakeholders and the Education ministry has signed an agreement with Microsoft for provision of software at affordable prices.
The Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) of Karnataka, India has become the first university in the country to launch the state-of-art interactive VSAT channel.
VTU has launched the VSAT channel in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The channel has two-way video and two-way audio features for the first batch of 30 selected colleges. Currently, VTU is using the DTH Channel and transmitting live sessions from its studio situated at DSERT campus in Bangalore. ISRO has identified 30 colleges as Batch-1 colleges to get the proposed VSAT channel based on utilisation, location, and response to the current DTH Channel by the Colleges . These 30 colleges would sign an MoU with VTU and ISRO to ensure full utlisation of VTU-EDUSAT network- both DTH and VSAT Channels. ISRO will provide the necessary VSAT, Hub and Teaching end support, while VTU will coordinate with several Engineering colleges affiliated to it and manage the VSAT network.
The Rabat local council will provide free ICT courses for residents of all ages in collaboration with the Vodafone Malta and TCTC Limited.
More than 300 people will attend these courses. Vodafone is supporting TCTC, the computer-training centre, in organising free IT and telecommunication courses at various localities in Malta and Gozo. The company is also supporting a training initiative, 'Learn IT' in 42 local councils in Malta and Gozo, which aims to narrow the digital divide across different communities. TCTC will set up computer laboratories powered with state-of-the-art equipment and broadband Internet connections. Participants will learn how to make use of on-line services, like those of government departments, how to shop on-line, use Internet banking, file a report to the police, and lodge a complaint at the local council.
The chairman of the National Knowledge Commission (NKC), Sam Pitroda said that networking of all knowledge institutions in India is one of the best outcomes of the NKC.
While presenting the commission's first report, he said that, the Indian government has started to coordinate for the creation of the National Knowledge Network with gigabit capabilities. NKC is planning to interconnect all universities, libraries, laboratories, hospitals and agricultural institutions in order to share data and resources across the country. The network will connect some 5,000 nodes covering all major institutions. In the first phase of the project around 500 to 1,000 nodes could be set up across the country. Among the many things that the network seeks to achieve is to provide institutions with access speeds of 100 mbps and higher to enhance collaborations both within and outside the country.
Microsoft has launched a programme for local communities to enable them to use information technology as a tool to their development.
Under the project, Unlimited Potential Programme or Project Jyoti, Community Technology Learning Centres (CTLCs) would be set up in both rural and urban areas, where women, youth, and children would be trained in basic computer operations. After the completion of the programme, a certificate for qualification would be given to the students. In the first phase of the programme, CTLCs would be set up in community centres, school, housing facility, where people can learn about computers.
The company is planning to set up more than 550 CTLCs across the country to train approximately 40,000 people. Microsoft has partnered with NGOs like SEWA, MS Swaminathan foundation, NASSCOM Foundation to set up CTLCs across the country.
Being the country's first state to introduce solar education kits in senior secondary schools of the state, Haryana has take the lead with an one of its kind initiative. Financial commissioner and Principal Secretary for renewable energy, S.S. Prasad told recently that the kits have been introduced in the state to educate students about the application of renewable energy.
Director of renewable energy department Sumita Misra told that there were about 3,000 high and secondary schools in the state. She also mentioned that the cost of the project was shared by the state and the central government on a 50:50 basis. These kits were, as a part of first phase were being provided in 2,000 schools of 13 districts at the cost of INR 80 Lakh. She told that the department was also taking up the matter with the central government to provide the central grant of INR 20 lakh to provide solar education kits in the remaining 1,000 senior secondary schools of seven districts including Hisar, Kurukshetra, Palwal, Faridabad, Narnaul, Sonipat and Yamunanagar which would be covered in the next three months.
More than 100 community groups in South Dublin have signed a contract to use South Dublin Co Council's (SDCC) online portal Connect.
Connect Web allows SDCC communities to create an online presence. The creation and hosting of their presence is free of charge and community leaders are trained to update and manage their group. SDCC has launched the online portal in association with Connect School, a resource for St Aidan's Community School. The community portal runs on open source software and allows users to avail free facilities for hosting their websites for online SDCC-based groups and associations. The software is based on an open source e-Learning platform, Moodle, which allows teachers to easily post quizzes and tests, monitor their students' progress and interact with them on the online forum.
The Society for the Advancement of Library and Information Science (SALIS), India, has launched a six month project, entitled 'Interactive E-Learning Portal on Information Literacy Competency Development Skills' in collaboration with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in South Asia.
The main aim of the project is to raise raise awareness and enhance information literacy competency skills of information professionals as well as educators. The objective of the programme is fully integrated with UNESCO's programme. The e-Learning module will cover Information Literacy Models and Standards, Information Communication Technology (ICT), Information Services for the Disabled People, Information Literacy Assessment, Freedom of Information/Right to Information and Lifelong Learning and Development of Life Skills.
Federal Government of Ghana has approved five ICT initiatives for the nation's tertiary institutions to be coordinated and supervised by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
These five initiatives are Students ICT resource centres; computer acquisition scheme for lecturers; upgrade of websites; pooling of bandwidth requirements and video driven lectures. Each resource centre will consist of a cyber centre with at least 200 computers connected to high speed Internet through C-Band. Under this programme, four or more fully equipped classrooms for instructor-led technical training; provision of physical accommodation space for Students Career Counselling and Campus-wide wireless distribution to support future growth would be provided.
