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Government, Azim Premji Foundation Ink Pact

Puducherry: The Puducherry government and the Azim Premji Foundation on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to conduct an experimental project of computer-aided learning in 40 government primary schools “by enabling certain essential conditions and thereby validate the extent of its impact.”

Shortly after signing the MoU, Education Minister M.O.H.F.Shahjahan and Chief Executive Officer of the Azim Premji Foundation (APF) Dileep Ranjekar told reporters that Puducherry had taken the initiative in evolving the project that could be guiding not only the Union Territory but also the whole country in promoting computer-aided learning.

The project would be run for two academic years and it had been designed using the Randomised Evaluation Design which had been internationally accepted gold standard for this kind of students, Mr.Shahjahan said.

The government’s contribution would be Rs.70 lakh and the APF’s share would be Rs.40 lakhs a year. In the first phase, the project would be implemented in the “Smart Schools” and once the efficacy of the project was ascertained, it would be extended to other schools also, he added. The MoU was aimed at creating a system, which needed a lot of Research and Development (R and D) work.

The Central government had asked the Puducherry government to document the noon meal scheme named after Rajiv Gandhi implemented in the Union Territory so that it could be adopted as a model for other parts of the country as well, he said, adding that the territorial government would also present a documentation on the pilot project on e-learning as well.

The government, with Central assistance, had already provided necessary computer infrastructure to schools under the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, Mr.Shahjahan said. The essential conditions which were to be enabled to conduct the experiment included building of the teachers’ capacity in using digital learning material or other technology, treating technology as an integral part of teachers’ pedagogy and classroom process and not as standalone activity such as ‘computer class’ and providing necessary dedicated resource for the project.

Other components of the pilot project were making prescribed infrastructure and hardware available to all students and teachers all through school hours, providing digital learning material of adequate quality and quantity and ensuring regular interaction with teachers to explore the strength of the available technology and constant updating and refining, Mr.Shahjahan said.

“The project is also expected to guide the State to determine investments in technology in a prudent manner in future,” he added. Mr.Ranjekar commended the Puducherry government for taking the initiative to introduce the project at a time when not many States were coming forward to invest in R and D. 

This article appeared in The Hindu, issue dated 29 February, 2008

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