CBSE to make digital classrooms compulsory

 The Central Board of Secondary Education has issued a directive to all affiliated schools to set up digital classrooms from primary to secondary level. Till recently, such classrooms were a boon to some schools but now they will become a part of every institution. 

In the last decade, classrooms with projector and computer had attracted a large number of parents who were eager to have latest teaching technology in schools. "Schools like Mayo College, MGD of Jaipur and others adopted the new technology to keep pace with the time and that helped them improve their results," said a retired principal of a private school. Slowly, other schools also adopted this technology but now it will become a feature of all the CBSE schools. More interestingly, setting up of digital classrooms will not be limited to science or mathematics classes but for every subject.

The board issued a directive to all school principals saying that after CCE evaluation system, the school should have digital classrooms. "The HRD ministry has announced 2010-20 as decade of reasoning and critical thinking and the board is implementing information and communication technology (ICT) in schools to get the maximum output," said Vineet Joshi, chairman of CBSE in his letter to schools.

Now, as per the board, every student of primary level should know how to handle computer and internet and student of middle classes should know how to gather information from internet and how to analyze it on computer through charts and diagram. Students of secondary and senior secondary should know how to make reports on given subject and information they get from internet. C should know about biochemistry, nanotechnology and other high level subjects. "The technology cannot turn bad teachers into good but it will help good teachers to become better," added Joshi.

According to the board, every digital classroom should have a projector with a big screen sufficient enough for the students to read without stress on eyes. The classrooms should have electronic interactive white board system. There should be a computer and UPS for every class. There should be a digital library for every subject. There will be an electronic response system in every class to calculate the period that is taken by students to understand the lesson and there will be a resource person who helps teachers in digital classrooms.

The state government has also started a drive to convert the classrooms of government schools to digital under Rashtriya Vishesh Madhiyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RVMSA) and the education department has asked school heads about their requirements. "The government school teachers are regularly getting training in computers in ET cell to set up system in their schools. Most of the senior and secondary level schools are having computer labs and internet facility," said Umesh Sharma, supervisor of government ET cell in Ajmer.TOI