CLASS CONSCIOUSNESS
Schools to get Net-enabled
S.C. Dhall

A project called, “Catch Them Young” has been initiated by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, which is likely to cover one lakh schools acrross the country by December, 2008.

This project will be in collaboration with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL), which will provide broadband services to all schools. These schools will be covered in four phases. BSNL will extend high-speed internet services.

By the end of 2007, 15000 schools will be covered in 1500 towns and in the second phase, it will cover 20,000 schools located primarily in the rural and semi-rural areas. In the third phase, BSNL will use wireless technologies such as Wi-Max to cover 10,000 schools in 1000 blocks.

In the final phase, 65000 schools in 5000 blocks will be provided connectivity. The HRD Ministry will provide PCs to access broadband. At present there are 2.5 million broadband users in the country and the number is likely to go up to 10 million by the end of the current financial year.

Meanwhile, to raise the standard of schooling to international standards, top educators and founders of reputed schools across the country are planning to change the system in Indian schools. As many 400 schools will join in the scheme.

The main aim is to spearhead a movement to transform schooling in India to meet global standards for the 21st century. This scheme is being taken up by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).

To start with, it has attracted 400 schools and in the next few months, it is likely to attract 700 schools across Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Coimbatore, Kochi, Hyderabad, Jamshedpur and Dehra Dun.

The ITSE has taken up the task of bringing qualitative changes among educators, researchers and policy makers and building a movement to transform schooling.