Kerala government school students to get tablet PCs

Bringing a revolutionary change in school education the state government is all set to introduce the tablet project in all government schools within a few years.

The tablet personal computers will be distributed to students from primary to secondary level thereby saving them from the burden of carrying heavy books to school, said Education Minister Abdu Rabb. 

 The minister was speaking after inaugurating Tech Vidya@School, an initiative of the Ernakulam district panchayat to enhance the basic facilities of information and communication technology (ICT) learning in the 53 government schools under the panchayat.

Owing to paucity of funds the project will be implemented in phases with the cooperation of local body heads and PTAs, Rabb said.


 “Education should change with the times and so the students. The lessons can be incorporated in the tablet and connectivity given to interact with teachers. Students can visit many sites of learning with the internet connection and discuss them with teachers.

Keltron and private agencies have approached

the government to implement it. Each tablet will cost around `6000 to `10,000. Funds from the Centre can also be utilised,” the minister said.

 The project to have one smart class in all schools in its last phase. Gradually all the classes will be turned into smart classrooms so that students can avail

themselves of the facilities of information technology to boost their knowledge.

 Food and Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob said that students today are tech-savvy and its misuse should be curbed.

Awareness should be created on using information technology effectively.

 District panchayat president Eldhose Kunnappally who presided over the function said that Rs 1,10,14443 -crore five-year project is being implemented through Keltron.

He said that plans are afoot to distribute other digital learning aids also in classrooms. A project to distribute e-text books free-of-cost in std VIII from next year is also under consideration.