Govt schools to get interactive smart boards

The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has decided to launch "operation digital board" to provide interactive smart boards for every classroom in the government schools across the country.

This came after the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) on Monday gave its approval to the ministry's proposal for providing an interactive digital board to all government schools along with other ICT tools to
supplement the teaching-learning process in five years.

"We will provide digital board, which is also known as whiteboard or smart board, to all the schools. This will be undertaken jointly by Central government and the state governments," HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said after the CABE meeting.

The government will reach out to the India Inc for their contributions under the corporate social responsibility (CSR) to drive the programme. Efforts will also be taken to ensure community participation in the move, he said.

"This will improve the quality of education. Students will be empowered with 360-degree information with the interesting learning experience and teacher accountability will also increase," the minister added.

The CABE meeting also discussed the recommendation of its sub-committee to extend the scope of the Right to Education Act to pre-primary and secondary level schools.

When asked if any decision was taken on the proposal, Javadekar said, "No final decision has yet been taken. This will require an amendment to the RTE Act.

"It will take time. We will work on it and let you know when a final decision is taken. ,"

"Education ministers of 20 states attended the meeting, while rest of states and UTs were represented by their officials," Javadekar said,

During the meeting, the minister also released district-wise report cards prepared on the basis of the first-ever class-wise and subject-wise assessment of the learning outcome of the students of Classes III, V and VIII conducted by the NCERT last year.

The CABE members resolved to commit to ensuring quality, equity, accessibility, accountability and affordability in education "by pro-active action and plan."

It also resolved to promote "human value education, life skill education, experiential learning to bring out good human beings out of the education system."

Five Union Minister including Maneka Gandhi, Thawar Chand Gehlot, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore attended the meeting which will conclude on Wednesday.