1,79,498 schools approved so far for coverage under ICT

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : The Central Government has launched an Integrated Scheme for school education, Samagra Shiksha, which subsumes the three erstwhile Centrally Sponsored Schemes of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), and Teacher Education, from the year 2018-19.

Under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha, Information & Communication Technology (ICT) component envisages covering all Government and Government Aided schools from classes VI to XII, subject to the availability of budgetary provision, progress of approved interventions and receipt of proposals from the States/UTs. So far, about 1,79,498 upper primary, secondary, senior secondary schools have been approved for coverage under ICT component of the respective schemes.

ICT curriculum for teachers and students has been developed by the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT). Students’ curriculum was piloted in 588 Navodaya Vidyalayas for one year. The  e-pathshala has been developed the NCERT for showcasing and disseminating all educational e-resources including textbooks, audio, video, periodicals and a variety of other print and non-print materials. So far, 3,444 audios and videos, 698 e-books (e-pubs) and 504 flip books have been made available on the portal and mobile app.

The National Repository of Open Educational Resources (NROER) is an initiative to bring together all digital and digitisable resources across all stages of school education and teacher education. So far, 13,635 files including 401 collections, 2,722 documents, 565 interactive, 1,664 audios, 2,581 images and 6,105 videos have been made available over the portal. States/ UTs are motivated to contribute resources on NROER and create OERs for their own State/ UT.

An initiative has been taken by Government of India to provide interactive digital boards to nearly 15 lakh classrooms across the country for 9th standard to post graduate level, where they can receive lectures from best teachers/professors and access quality e-content, in order to enhance overall learning process and experience of the students. This information was given by the Minister of State (HRD) Dr. Satya Pal Singh in a written reply to a Lok Sabha question on February 4, 2019, according to a PIB release.