Changing face of Indian Education

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February 12, 2015

With the Indian education system welcoming the new age methods of teaching, the dream of modern India will be a reality soon. The adoption of high-tech driven technologies in education seems bridging the gap between the modern and the traditional practice of teaching.

The Government of India’s vision of Digital India Campaign has given hopes to many schools and universities to bring certain changes in the education system with a positive outlook. The education sector is in the middle of paradigm shift from a one-size-fits-all factory approach, to a much more tailored learning.

e-book, e-content, e-learning technologies have brought a slew of changes in the teaching methods and the schools alike. The universities and schools majorly private players have adopted the new teaching tools, but government and government aided schools still need to get in sync with the new technology era.

The new age teaching techniques is making life lot easier for students and educators. The adoption of digital teaching solutions engage generation of pupils well versed with the likes of Xbox and iPads and trying to make the classroom environment more inclusive and participatory.

Gone are the days when teachers use to lecture the students, making the session dull. With the practical approach in teaching methods, the students easily grasp and retain the topics in a much healthier way. Smart class from Educomp is one of the best examples which was first adopted in India.

It enables the teachers to quickly assess the aptitude of the student, how much of a particular lesson student has been able to understand and grasp. There might have been conventional thinkers who still believe in the traditional teaching method, yet adoption with the help of digital tools, teaching can be far more interesting and valuable for the new age generation.

The changing dynamics in education sector and shifting expectations for the learning environment require universities to examine teaching and learning practices. The forces of change in higher education system seem to be the need of the hour. However, universities are addressing this shifting landscape with a positive outlook.

Digital Learning is organizing Higher Education Knowledge Exchange Program in Jaipur on 21st February which brings key decision makers and leaders in the higher education sector on one platform to discuss the short-term and long-term objectives for strengthening the higher education system with the help of digital tools.

Microsoft selects education innovators from Gujarat

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digitalLEARNING Network

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February 5, 2015

The two innovators Bijal Damani and Lakshmanbhai Kuberbhai Chaudhari have been chosen as Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) experts from Gujarat for their 2014-15 class of education innovators. Microsoft Innovative Educators are experts who integrate progressive pedagogy with advanced technology to advance learning and better prepare students for the jobs of the future.

Similarly, Microsoft showcase schools represent leaders who apply a comprehensive vision for change to transform local schools. Microsoft technology is deployed school-wide, and their experiences are shared with other schools to accelerate reform.

Speaking about the Microsoft Showcase Schools and Innovative Educator Experts programs, Pratik Mehta, Director – Education at Microsoft India, said, “This is a group of talented educators committed to increasing students’ productivity and helping students develop the right skills in this mobile-and-cloud era. With half of India’s population below the age of 25, making use of technology to expand the potential of every student, educator and school is important to India’s growth.”

MIEs participate in case studies, content development, and provide advice on using technology in innovative ways to transform the learning environment. After rigorous training and an introduction to new Microsoft tools and techniques to use in the classroom, these educators also join Microsoft in Education Global Forum, a hallmark educator recognition program. MIEs are eligible for free tools and technology from Microsoft (including Office 365 Pro Plus) and IT Academy certification.

Select educators will also be invited to the Microsoft in Education Global Forum in the USA in April-May 2015. Two student ambassadors will also be nominated from each Showcase school, thereby helping students develop early leadership skills. A few of these student ambassadors will be invited to participate at a global event to enhance collaboration with their counterparts in other countries.

Education can make India globally competitive

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digitalLEARNING Network

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February 5, 2015

Focusing on education and healthcare will be the key to success of the government’s ‘Make in India’ programme, helping the country’s labour force become globally competitive, World Bank has said.

“I think the key is to focus on quality of primary and secondary education. It is really important that India competes with the rest of the world because the ‘Make in India’ means that your labour force has to be competitive with the rest of the world,” said Onno Ruhl, World Bank Country Director in India.

He was speaking to reporters while releasing the World Bank report, ‘Addressing Inequality in South Asia’. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the ‘Make in India’ campaign in September to attract foreign investors and make the country a global manufacturing hub. Manufacturing contributes about 16-17 per cent to the GDP. Government aims to increase the share to 25 per cent by 2022.

Ruhl also said that the national health mission is an opportunity for the government to build a good healthcare system. “It is really good that there is a conversation about national health insurance. The national health mission is a good opportunity to build a good health care system. Healthcare is a challenge to every country,” he added.

Besides, he said India should ensure that subsidies reach the targeted segment. “I would say look at subsidies and make sure that the money spent actually reaches the targeted people. There is a need to improve and work on health and sanitation because it is an opportunity. Create as many jobs as you can for everybody,” he said.

The World Bank report said jobs and migration are supporting considerable upward mobility among both the poor and the vulnerable sections of the population in India. Households from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes considered together experienced upward mobility comparable to that of the rest of the population, according to the report.

As per the World Bank analysis, increase in non-farm jobs in rural India was one of the main drivers for upward mobility.

Area of Darkness

Policy Matters

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digitalLEARNING Network

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February 5, 2015

The new Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) shows that deterioration in learning outcomes has been arrested in 2014, but absolute numbers are still dismal. Less than half of class 5 students can read a text of class 2 level; less than half of class 8 students can do a division. If that was not worrying enough, the gap in learning outcomes between private and government schools is huge.

There is a 20 percentage point difference between the proportion of students in private and government schools who have achieved basic learning outcomes in reading and arithmetic. This is despite public schools spending more per pupil in almost every state except Bihar. The only efficient way to improve learning outcomes is by introducing more accountability in government schools. In the absence of improvements in the way government schools function, improving learning outcomes will be an extravagantly expensive affair. If government schools continue to operate at the same level of efficiency, an excess Rs.2.32 trillion of spending is needed to achieve the learning results of the private sector, estimate Lant Pritchett and Yamini Aiyar of Harvard Kennedy School and Centre for Policy Research, respectively. That number is not only higher than the entire current spending on education, it is another 2.8% of gross domestic product (GDP).

The excess cost for the government sector to reach the same learning outcomes is a sum of two parts. One, the raw cost differential or the excess spent by public schools over private schools and the incremental estimated cost needed to achieve the same results as the private sector. This number has been multiplied by the number of students to arrive at the Rs.2.32 trillion number. As the above charts show, there are huge state-wise disparities. In terms of absolute spending per pupil by government schools, Goa tops the charts with nearly Rs.45,000 per pupil, while Bihar spends the least at Rs.4,300. At the same time, higher spending is not always commensurate with better learning outcomes. According to ASER 2011 and 2012 data, the average learning outcome for government schools in Goa is only 6 percentage points higher than that in Bihar. In Goa, the government spends nearly Rs.40,000 more per student compared with privately educated pupils.

This difference is the lowest for Bihar which is the only state that spends less money per pupil than its private sector. But a narrow gap between government and private school per pupil costs doesn’t mean that government schools are more efficient. For example, this gap in raw costs for Uttar Pradesh is Rs7,890 compared with Rs.14,877 for Maharashtra. But the learning gap between children in government and private schools is only 5.8 percentage points for Maharashtra compared with 32.3 percentage points in Uttar Pradesh.

Thus, when it comes to overall excess public costs, Uttar Pradesh has to spend nearly five times more, though it should be noted that the greater number of students enrolled also adds to costs. Pritchett and Iyer warn that merely hiking teachers’ salaries might have no incremental impact on learning outcomes in public schools. This is exactly what many political parties have been promising. It is well known that the higher expenses in government schools mostly go towards wages and salaries. Any such additional spending will have to be done sensibly.

Schools are supposed to be the temples of learning, but the average primary educational institution in India is likely to be a dingy, dilapidated place without access to electricity, toilets and with too few teachers. True, just having great school infrastructure is not sufficient to improve learning outcomes, but it is certainly a necessary condition.

The latest Annual Status of Education report shows that learning outcomes are abysmal in Indian schools. The following charts show that there is a lot of work needed in school-level infrastructure when the government announces a new education policy which is in the works. The 2013-14 edition of the District Information System for Education (DISE) report shows that India’s schooling system is overwhelmingly skewed towards primary schools.

There are five times more primary schools than there are secondary schools. At the state level, this discrepancy becomes even more stark. The worst performer in this regard is Bihar with a ratio of 13.3:1 while the most balanced is Chandigarh with a ratio of 1.2:1. The reason for this skew is a sharp rise in small schools (enrolment of fewer than 60 students), and these are all primary schools, says Rukmini Banerjee, Director at the Annual Status of Education Report Centre. This explosion in primary schools is often counter-productive since the schools are too small to have adequate infrastructure or teacher strength. Increasing the size of these schools and including a secondary education section is the way forward, she added.

Even within larger schools, the level of infrastructure needs a lot of work. The DISE data shows that only 6 out of every 10 schools in the country have access to electricity. State-level data throws up an even grimmer picture—one-third of states do not provide electricity to the majority of their schools. Bihar again is the worst offender with only 10% of its schools having access to electricity. Some other states such as Punjab, Gujarat and Haryana fare very well in this regard with almost all their schools getting electricity.

In the case of toilets, however, India fares quite well. According to DISE data, 86% schools in India have boys’ toilets while 91% have girls’ toilets. Most of the states have toilets in more than 80% of their schools. Among the worst performers are Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya. However, the DISE numbers may be a little misleading since they do not make a distinction between usable and unusable toilets. While, there are very few schools that have no toilets at all, the latest ASER report says that only 65% have usable toilets.

The average class size—or students per classroom—in India across the levels of schooling was 42. States like Bihar and Jharkhand fare worse with an average of 78 and 67 students per classroom, respectively. Bihar’s secondary education facilities seem especially strained, with 97 students per class. Jharkhand has that issue in higher secondary education with 94 students per class. The student-teacher ratio in India stands at 27.25:1 across all levels of schooling. This seems healthy in light of the Right to Education Act stipulation of a ratio of 30:1. However, the student-teacher ratio of 41:1 in higher secondary education needs some work. Uttar Pradesh, in particular, needs to hire many more teachers as its ratio of 60:1 is well above the recommended level. The discrepancy between these figures and those in the latest ASER edition (which shows higher student-classroom and student-teacher ratios than DISE) can be put down to the fact that ASER is a survey and focuses only on rural India. The quality of the teachers is also important for learning outcomes. The DISE data shows that only 69% of all school teachers in the country have a graduate degree or more.

However, around 91% of all higher secondary teachers in the country have a graduate degree or more. Only eight states have a proportion lower than this. The current education policy was formulated by the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1986. It is high time it was updated and these are just some of the issues that need to be addressed in the new policy. However, “The real priority focus of the new education policy must be learning outcomes and the syllabus. There must also be publicly available targets for students to meet at each level so that even parents can contribute in helping the children meet these targets,” says Banerjee.

TERI University facilitate eminent dignitaries with doctorate degree

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digitalLEARNING Network

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February 5, 2015

The seventh convocation ceremony of TERI University held recently awarded honorary doctorates to four eminent dignitaries Dr Jose Manuel Ramos-Horta, Former President, East Timor, Paul Polman, CEO, Unilever, Hiroaki Nakanishi, Chairman and CEO, Hitachi, and test cricketer VVS Laxman.

Total of eight doctoral degrees and 178 master degrees were awarded to the TERI University students at the ceremony. Dr R.K. Pachauri, Chancellor, TERI University, and Director General, The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI) said, “Growth cannot happen in a vacuum, we need to create an enabling environment. TERI University has been built with an objective to achieve environmental sustainability. More importantly, we need to bring about a transformation in resource efficiency. Our country’s population is growing rapidly and we need to create engines of change.”

M. Venkaiah Naidu, Minister of Urban Development, said, “I am happy to be here at the convocation and I want students to never stop learning. TERI University students have a challenge to achieve both environmental and social sustainability. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we have a chance to transform India and make the country development oriented. Skill development and management is one of the critical areas to transform India. For this, we need to change our mindsets. Given the state of unplanned development, we need to build capacity, especially for our urban bodies. We cannot build Smart Cities overnight, but we need appropriate technologies to realize this dream. We need to be proud of our nation and its heritage.”

Dr Leena Srivastava, Vice Chancellor, TERI University and Honorary Executive Director, TERI, said, “It has been 15 years since we were recognized as a deemed university by the Government of India. The TERI University is proud to see how its students are already making a mark in society. From helping integrate sustainability reporting, including the publication of the Economic Survey, to setting up social enterprises, from contributing to the efforts of international development organizations to working with corporates, and bringing change from within, our students are everywhere. We have been constantly experimenting, and successfully, with different innovations.”

Set up in 1998, the TERI University was conceived to cater to the need of disseminating the vast reservoir of knowledge created by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) – a not for profit, independent research institute recognized globally for its contribution to scientific and policy research in the realms of energy, environment, and sustainable development. The TERI University was granted deemed-to-be-university status by the University Grants Commission (UGC) in 1999. Today, the University offers not just world-class education, but also an environment that enables its students to develop fresh perspectives on their subjects of study. This includes regular interactions with researchers, scientists, practitioners and academicians.

XLRI concludes 7th National Conference on Social Entrepreneurship

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digitalLEARNING Network

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February 3, 2015

XLRI-Xavier School of Management hosted 7^th National Conference on Social Entrepreneurship. The 3-day conference was held at XLRI campus, Jamshedpur. Conducted under the aegis of Fr. Arrupe Center for Ecology and Sustainability and SIGMA (Social Initiative Group for Managerial Assistance), the 7^th National Conference on Social entrepreneurship was based on the theme- The Young Changemakers: Youth as Social Entrepreneurs.

The young professionals, social entrepreneurs, and change makers share their stories, challenges and innovations and discuss and deliberate on new solutions and partnerships. Fr. E. Abraham, S.J. Director, XLRI said, “We all know that throughout the history, social transformations have come through the initiatives and entrepreneurship of youth – be it the social movements, creation of disruptive technologies to change the society, and even winning freedom for nations. This is also a very relevant theme in contemporary India, which needs the energy and passion of the young generation to address some of the most critical issues which the country is facing. India is a country of young, with 430 million people in the age range of 15-34. In fact, estimates show that by 2020 youth will comprise of 64% of India’s working population. This certainly holds the promise of our “demographic dividends”. However, if this youth power does not move into more productive spaces of nation building, these dividends can also become our ‘demographic liabilities’.”

Ashraf Patel, Co-Founder and Director of Pravah advocated for 5th Space, a platform where youngsters come together & perform grass root activities. Rahul Nainwal, Co-Founder, iVolunteer & India Fellowship, talked about a unique initiative in which 14 India Fellows are selected for one and a half year leadership program, while Anshu Gupta, Founder Director of Goonj, put forth a strong case for the need of ground level implementation of youth driven projects.

Day 1 witnessed young professionals sharing their experiences on solving the problems of the society. The second day was followed with the theme on ‘The power of Volunteerism’ which emphasized on the intrinsic motivation to bring change in society we live. The focus of the third session was ‘the challenge of Sustainability’. Anirban Gupta of Dhriti promotes sustainable livelihood through development of micro enterprise value chain.

The third day started with the theme ‘Innovators of Livelihood and Entrepreneurship’ in which three eminent speakers addressed the issue of sustainable livelihood to the marginalized section of our society.

TAFE SA signs MoU with Kalyani Skills

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digitalLEARNING Network

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February 2, 2015

The State of South Australia moved closer to developing a key vocational education and training partnership with Kalyani Skills that would use TAFE SA’s training knowledge and expertise.At a formal exchange of a Memorandum of Understanding in Pune, Gail Gago, Minister of Employment, Higher Education and Skills, South Australia welcomed the development between TAFE SA, the largest provider of vocational education and training in South Australia and Kalyani Skills, part of the Indian multinational conglomerate The Kalyani Group.

“India has a skills shortage in a range of areas where TAFE SA has expertise that is recognised by employers in Australia and overseas as being of the highest quality,” said Bhavin Shah, Director – Kalyani Skills. “TAFE SA and Kalyani Skills will deliver training in areas including Engineering, Mining, Transport, Electrical, Electronics, Building and Construction. We look forward to a long term association with TAFE SA.”

“TAFE SA has a great record in helping organisations with evolving needs to improve the skills of their staff in South Australia and they will now work with Kalyani Skills to bring that same know-how to India.”

“We hope this is the first step in a long and productive partnership that will see TAFE SA working with Kalyani Skills to help develop an industry-ready workforce for India,” Gago said.

“Proposed academic association could include training and assessment resources, guidance and advice to set up frameworks for delivery, teacher training and tours that would take Indian students to TAFE campuses in South Australia.”

Hindustan University announces dates for HITSEEE 2015

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digitalLEARNING Network

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January 28, 2015

Hindustan University has announced the dates for HITSEEE 2015 – the Hindustan Engineering Entrance Examination for this year. The online entrance examination for the streams of study includes B. Tech & B. Arch and will be held on 25^th and 26^th April 2015.

The application form for the entrance exam can be downloaded from the university website. The last date of submission of the form is 20^th April 2015. The student applying for the BTech program must be under 19 years of age and must have scored at least 50% average marks in Physics, Mathematics and Chemistry put together under the curriculum prescribed by the Government. And the students applying for B. Arch Courses, he / she should pass in plus two with an aggregate of not less than 50% in (10+2) level or its equivalent examination with Mathematics / Business Mathematics as one of the subjects is required.

The University focuses on Emerging technology areas by offering Engineering Degrees in specialised fields of study such as Nano Technology, Clean Energy, Cyber Security &Defense Technology Studies. . The university will focus on these innovative and new areas of study to fulfill the huge shortfall of skilled workforce needed to bridge the gap in the growing requirement created by these emerging technology areas.

Additionally, Hindustan University has also introduced Outcome Based Curriculum and syllabus across all streams of study. This will not only help offer students a better grasp of the fundamentals of study but will also offer an integrated approach toward research within a structured learning environment with exposure to cutting edge technologies that is required by the modern industries.

The University has instituted a scholarship programme for students. Known as Dr. KCG Verghese Scholarship Scheme is offered under three categories:

1) Merit Scholarship – Tuition Fee Waiver Scheme. This is offered to HITSEEE participants based on their scoring.

2) Merit Cum Means Scholarship – This is offered to meritorious studentswho are economically weak/physically challenged/ Children of Ex service men and those serving in defence.

3) Sports & Cultural Scholarship – This is offered to students with outstanding performance records in sports & cultural activities in state and national levels.

The University has also entered into collaborative agreements with over 40 leading International Universities and has also signed several collaborative agreements with the industry for customized training and placement of students with companies such as Toyota and Volkswagon, IBM etc.

Kidzee launches Interactive iLLUME program for preschools

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digitalLEARNING Network

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January 28, 2015

Kidzee, the preschool chain in Asia has launched iLLUME, the best in class curriculum in the early childhood education. In the first phase, approximately 20% of Kidzee centres will adopt this new curriculum and it will be established in all 1350 plus centres in India.

Interactive iLLUME is developed by Kidzee after undertaking research and content development for 2 years. The new curriculum is age appropriate and contextual making it easy for child to understand. KVS Seshasai, CEO, Zee Learn Limited, said, “Global events and the needs emerging from various social, economic, and demographic changes in the last few decades have influenced the Early Childhood Care and Education in India. Having touched the lives of more than 4,00,000 children in India, Kidzee, a decade on, remains focused on nurturing the unique potential in every child. We at, Kidzee, are extremely proud to be the pioneers of Interactive iLLUME, a specially devised curriculum and pedagogy which aims to provide children with development that is continuous and cumulative.”

Interactive iLLUME is a unique methodology covering an ‘English Readiness Programme’ where reading, writing and comprehension are all fully addressed to help children learn oral and written English. It includes a specially designed ‘School Readiness’ programme enabling the child to acquire language, mathematical, cognitive, social and emotional skills at an early age. The phonic programme, as part of this new curriculum, will help children learn through a multisensory approach by using VAK (Visual, Audio and Kinetics) methodology.

The highlighting features of Interactive iLLUME includes proprietary audio-visual content, talking pens and apps on tablets ensuring timely learning of a child. Kidzee has also included over 200 proprietary rhymes which will facilitate language development and concept enhancement in children.

Tapping into a tablet – savvy future

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digitalLEARNING Network

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January 28, 2015

The typical Indian classroom – once characterized by students sitting through hour-long lectures – are now abuzz with tablets, a new trend of personalized learning. Elets News Network finds out if technology is really improving the level of education in our country and can it ever replace a real teacher?

The advanced technology is changing how the young India is applying geometric formulas or balancing chemical equations. Some of the best minds in the education sector believe that the usage of tablets in classroom is necessary as we prepare our students for the global economy. Our Indian classroom is undergoing a sea change, and blackboard and chalk may not be its most important features anymore. The ‘digital native’ generation is more comfortable with receiving homework alerts and sharing notes on their tablets.

Technology makes the process of learning more exciting, interacting and engaging, says Neeta Bali, Head of Kasiga School, Dehradun. “There is a dire need to integrate technology into education to make it meaningful, easy to assimilate and lasting in impact. If used judiciously, it can be a great tool. Tablets open out new vistas of global learning, if used judiciously in a supervised environment, particularly with younger students. It is wise to use a tablet of good brands that are child friendly, easy-to-use and breakage resistant,” she adds.

Echoing the same sentiments, R.K. Sharma, Principal, Satyug Darshan Vidyalaya, Faridabad, insists that in this era of advanced technology the students need to be tech-savvy. “Fashion of buying new books every year is a wastage and threat to greenery and ecosystem. Tablets save paper as well as teacher’s time, and help the child to understand the concepts and apply these in real life situations. It helps the students to immediately connect with the teachers and peer groups for solution to their problems. In modern education system learning by doing is required, so tablets become one of the sources. Immediate problems can be detected, solutions can be provided and reminders can be given through the tablets,” he adds.

The whole process encourages students to not just mug up the theories but actually understand the concepts of mathematics, physics, chemistry and other subjects. The tablets not just open up new opportunities of teaching but also help students share what they have learnt. Many schools are recognizing the potential of usage of tablets in classrooms.

Although most of the educators agree that the traditional tools of teaching are slowly losing their relevance, the path to usage of technology in classroom needs to be treaded carefully. It is true that older generations relied more on traditional tools of teaching but the generation Z, whom we also know as the Alpha generation learners or Digital Natives, is more receptive to digital learning tools and techniques.

“Still, there are many parameters to check and keep in mind while selecting a tool for school. First and foremost the base of the product, the theory or foundation on which the product was formed. The benefit it will do to the community, what research has gone behind developing this product, training support, installation costs, post sale services, customer satisfaction, relationship building and monitoring, repairs or warranties applicable, grievance redressal, applications offered, durability, price, etc have to be crosschecked. When deciding on a product for young kids, schools need to be sure that there are no harmful or ill effects on the health of the kids,” shares Dr Niyati Chitkara, Principal, Chitkara International School, Chandigarh.

Every teaching and learning tool has its own advantages and disadvantages. And tablets are no exceptions. Though more and more students are comfortable using advanced technology there’s still a small fraction of students who find the sensitive and human touch of a real teacher necessary to stay motivated. Therefore, a balanced mix of both could be the ideal way to help our students stay interested in their studies.

“Digital tools and traditional tools are not contradictory. They are rather supportive to each other. Tablet is not the only way; it is an additional and important tool to help the students understand the concepts better. Traditional teaching can be enriched with digital tools for effective teaching and learning. In traditional teaching, students rarely participate in the process of teaching and learning. Whereas in digital learning students’ participation is paramount. No e-device can possibly be a substitute for a real teacher, who brings human touch to the process of learning. A real teacher can motivate and guide students in a way a tablet never can. While adopting technology we need to remember that technology doesn’t teach, teachers do,” says R.K. Jain, Principal, Dr. D.Y. Patil Institute of Engineering and Technology, Maharashtra.

Schools today put a lot of emphasis on activity based and experimental teaching methods. The learning process is different for every child and this interactive technology only makes the learning more engaging and memorable.

Tablet also bridges the gap for students who find it hard to catch up with others in the class. The teacher can monitor individual student’s progress and pay attention to those who need additional attention. However, the digital roads to smart education have their own shares of potholes. Infrastructure continues to be the main bottleneck. “The government’s ambitious ‘Digital India’ initiative aims to usher into a holistic digital transformation in our country. To empower this initiative the government needs to subside the cost of digital technology so that educational institutes may invest more on infrastructure to ensure that state-of-the-art facilities are provided to the students. Also, student digital educational aid needs to be supported so that tablets can be made mandatory in all educational institutions,” Says Peeya Sharma, School Head at Ryan International School, Gurgaon.

She raises an important issue. While private schools are far ahead of the public schools, the government needs to ensure ICT infrastructure in every public school, connectivity through internet/broadband and other mandatory digital resources needs to be provided. Peeya continues, “According to the Indian Education Sector Outlook — the total number of schools in India stands at 1.3 million, and only around 10 percent of the private schools have tapped the potential of digital classroom teaching, whereas in government schools, it has barely made any inroads. The government needs to briskly move smart with focus on creation of quality learning spaces through the seamless integration of technology and learning processes driven by an innovative curriculum.”

The new government should take more efforts to bridge the digital deficit so that every student gets an equal opportunity to learn and create a better future. It is necessary to provide the technological skill to each child in the government schools, says Sasmita Mohanty, Principal, Sanjay Ghodawat International School, Kolhapur. “There is a need to provide training, computers and tablets as per the number of the students in every school. Funds should be allocated to all public and government schools to bring technology to grassroot level more aggressively. Private schools can offer to share their resources with the less privileged ones. Also, corporate houses can make this a part of their CSR initiative and take initiatives to provide necessary infrastructure to incorporate technology in government schools,” shares Sasmita.

Niyati believes that the government can take a learn from the professor of Educational Technology at the School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences, at Newcastle University, Sugata Mitra’s experiment of the “hole in the wall” wherein he installed old computers in far off villages in walls and left the students to experience and learn from them. “The government should encourage companies to adopt village schools or government schools. More focus and planning is required to make sure the infrastructure provided is used regularly and effectively in government schools. The application part of the process needs to be given due importance,” Niyati explains.

While the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have brought closer the dream of digital equality in our country, the shallow internet density is making a crisis out of an opportunity. “Digital technology has the potential to improve the level of education in India but this dream can only take shape into reality if the infrastructure is placed judiciously. The government should provide 3G/4G internet services not only in metros but in other rural places as well. Spreading awareness on the same could encourage companies and institutions, universities and colleges across the country to develop MOOCs. The government needs to come up with stringent policy to be followed and promote more online courses. More faster and extensive access to internet all over the country is of the utmost importance. Dedicated lease line of internet facility can be provided as an outreach program to all the university, colleges and school throughout various states,” suggests Sasmita Mohanty.

Tablet in education can boost student learning and revolutionize our classrooms. It enhances creativity, keeps the whole process of leaning exciting, imbibes the quality of sharing and helping among students ensure that students are prepared to meet the demands of the highly competitive modern world. Smart usage of technology will definitely further enhance the education system in India and help creating global citizens.

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