Over 13,000 Kerala schools to go digital soon
- With digitalisation schools will get facilities like high speed broadband connectivity and customised software content
- Digitalisation will be introduced in 13, 835 schools across the state
- The fund will be allocated from MP and MLA fund
FollowKerala Government has taken up the challenge to ensure that students of government and aided schools in the state get facilities at par with private schools by digitalising high schools and higher secondary schools before September. Finance Minister Thomas Issac said the state government had allocated ₹1, 000 crore to upgrade one government school in every constituency on par with international standards.
"The project has already kicked off, and four schools in four constituencies have been selected for upgradation. New facilities will be inaugurated on January 28. Schools that wish to upgrade can submit proposals to Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB)," the minister said.
MLAs are authorised to identify the schools in their constituencies and submit the proposal for upgradation. The move aims to ensure modern digital architecture to aided and government schools. Facilities like customised software content and high speed broadband connectivity will be provided to schools. Teachers will be trained to adapt to the transformation while students will have to acquire certain minimum standards, he said.
There are a total of 13, 835 schools in the state of which 4, 619 are Government High Schools and 7, 145 aided high schools. Of the 2, 071 Higher Secondary Schools, 832 are Government Higher Secondary Schools while 850 are aided Higher Secondary Schools.
A minimum expenditure of ₹250 crore is anticipated for the project, and the amount will be allocated from MLA and MP funds.
Already four schools, one each in Alappuzha, Puthukkad, Taliparamba and Kozhikode North, are identified for upgradation after assessing them on the basis of inputs from the alumni association, PTA, local bodies and MP and MLA from the area.
With digitalisation, schools will get more children as parents and wards are interested in studying in institutions that can provide advanced facilities. Citing the example of Tagore Lower Primary School in his constituency, where student enrolment to the first standard increased from five to 97 after the introduction of the computer, he said the new facility would increase the strength of government and aided schools.
