FM plans to digitalise all Kerala schools by Onam

Thiruvananthapuram: All government and aided high school and higher secondary school classrooms in the state will be digitalised before September. The declaration was made by finance minister Dr T.M. Thomas Isaac during a media interaction organised at Kesari Hall on Wednesday. “Already four schools in four constituencies have been taken up for upgradation under the anti-recession package. The upgraded facilities in these four schools will be inaugurated on January 28. The rest of the schools can now use these newly upgraded schools as model and submit proposals to KIIF-B,” Dr Isaac said.

The finance minister said MLAs should take the lead in identifying the schools. “They have been asked to submit upgradation proposals for all government and aided schools within their constituencies,” he said. By digitalisation, Dr Isaac meant that the school will get a modern digital architecture. It will have fast broadband connectivity, and customised software content. “Teachers will be offered training as part of the transformation. Also, certain minimum standards would be prescribed for students to acquire,” Dr Isaac said.

• Number of high schools in state - 12,615
• Government high schools - 4,619
• Aided high schools - 7,145
• Higher secondary schools - 2,071
• Govt. higher secondary schools - 832
• Aided higher secondary schools - 850

The finance minister said that there would be no dearth of money for these projects. “MLA and MP funds would also be utilised for the project,” Dr Isaac said.

The state government had allocated Rs 1,000 crore as part of anti-recession package for upgradation of one government school in each constituency on par with international standards. An expenditure of at least Rs 250 crore is anticipated this fiscal.

Four schools were identified for upgradation, each in Alappuzha, Puthukkad, Kozhikode North, and Talipparamba (Kannur). They were selected after assessing the possibility of schools on the basis of inputs from PTA, alumni associations, local bodies, MLA and MP concerned.

Isaac said that computers were now being used as a bait to lure children to public  schools. He gave the example of Tagore LP school in his constituency (Mararikkulam) where, after computers were introduced last year, the enrolment to first standard increased from five students to 97 this year.