Hyderabad: The Telangana State government is stumped by some corporate companies who are refusing to adopt state-run schools unless the government buys their digital classroom tools.
The government is offering 100 schools, 10 in every district, to corporate companies for adoption under the Digital India Programme. Unicef is helping both TS and AP develop e-learning modules for Classes VI to VIII which can be used in government schools.
The TS government is embarking on a massive drive to adopt digital techniques in classrooms for teaching apart from improving computer literacy. The government thinks e-learning will be adopted in about 2,100 schools by November.
There are also plans to develop two smart schools in Hyderabad, at par with top international schools, which will have only digital classrooms.
“We have about 2,000-odd schools which can readily have digital classrooms. Already course material for classes VI to VIII has been developed in electronic form for all the subjects by our teachers with help from Unicef,” a senior official said.
Following this, AP has also evinced interest in doing the same and has requested Unicef support.
But the adoption of schools has left the government surprised. Some of the corporate companies, which have already developed digital classroom tools, are asking the government that only their tools should be purchased and used in schools.
“Not all the corporate companies are putting such a condition. Some do want to adopt as part of their CSR,” another TS education ministry official said.
“They gave demonstrations of their products and want us to buy them if they are to adopt schools. We are already developing our own content so why should we buy their expensive products,” the official added.
