An IT outreach program opens new vistas for government school kids

For thousands of children in the suburbs of Bangalore, a government school education used to mean packed dingy rooms where they picked up snatches of science or geography from dog-eared textbooks. Teachers or lecturers of elder siblings were the role models. They, in turn, had no clue about ‘gadgets’ that provided phonetic and pictorial accounts of curriculum topics. Ironically, these devices were being assembled inside some of the imposing buildings in their own neighbourhoods—the IT corridor of the city.

Over the last two years, though, these children have begun to dream big. Gradual improvements in infrastructure and setting up of computer centres at some of these schools have prompted a radical change in the aspirations of these children. The kids too find it interesting to assimilate subjects—languages, mathematics, geography or science—with computers playing a key role in the learning process. They are taught to log in and manage some key operations under an initiative pioneered by Schoolnet of India Ltd’s Nalanda Foundation in Bangalore. An interesting facet of the K-10 Program (kindergarten to Class X) is that children from rural and semi-urban areas get familiarised with computer applications in education as well as other fields. Schoolnet was set up three years ago by Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Ltd (IL&FS) as part of a broader initiative in the social infrastructure sector. In addition to its investment of Rs 150 crore across India, Schoolnet has played a catalytic role in garnering donations, both financial and in terms of equipment, from the corporate sector and philanthropists.

In Karnataka, more than 20,000 children in ten government schools (nine in Bangalore and one in Mandya district) and 31 schools of the Bangalore City Corporation have reaped benefits. The change is already evident at the Thimmaiah Reddy Government Higher-Primary School and High School at Beretena Agrahara, on the Bangalore-Hosur national highway. The children have access to 10 computers (five for each school) to learn simple addition in Class I to solar and lunar eclipses, anatomy and the circulatory system at the high school level. Each class spends about two-and-a-half hours every week at the computer centre, picking up basic applications. The headmasters and a dozen teachers have been trained too, in facilities like creating e-mail accounts and surfing the Net for additional information on advances in science and technology. Such encouragement has prompted students like Geetanjali, 12 (Class VII), and her senior schoolmate, Sandhyarani Ravindranath, 14 (Class X), to nurse ambitions of pursuing a career in medicine. For boys like Kiran Dattaraj, 11 (Class VI), and Murugesh, 14 (Class X), a career in software seems more attractive than in the past.

Schoolnet India has innovative plans to expand its program to more schools. "We are exploring the possibility of introducing satellite-based education in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). This will help us cover more than 100 schools through centralised content distribution. We’re planning a pilot project in one district before implementing it in the state," says Satish Shenoy, country manager, K-10 regional program.

For now, the project’s progress is monitored in every school, says Mukta Prasad, faculty—education, learning and customer services (EL&CS). "We visit the schools to help out the teachers, and carry out random checks among children as part of our assessment. We also check the log books to add up the hours spent by each class on the computer and ensure the systems are utilised throughout the week," she said.

Spento D. Cooper, project manager, K-10 regional program, says the aim is to work in partnership with schools and customise resources, training and support systems to supplement the teaching-learning process. It also addresses regional language requirements, including the needs of various state boards and governments and facilitates greater outreach of quality education, particularly in semi-urban and rural areas. "The K-10 program seeks to make education a more meaningful and enjoyable experience for both students and teachers by harnessing the power of information technology and pedagogy," he says. To find out more, contact: Spento Cooper, Schoolnet India Ltd, 309/2, Lakshya Towers, First Cross, Fifth Block, Koramangala, Bangalore-560034. Ph: 5526760-66.