Jagan to launch distribution of tabs to over 5 lakh students and teachers of State-run schools

The initiative will be a game-changer for education system in the State, says official

To enhance the learning outcomes of students using technology, the State government is going to distribute 5.18 lakh tablets (computers) to students and a section of teachers in the State-run schools.

Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy will formally launch the distribution at the Edlapalli Zilla Parishad High School in Guntur district on December 21 (Wednesday). “The initiative will be a game-changer for the education system in the State,” said Commissioner, School Education, S. Suresh Kumar.

Mr. Suresh Kumar told The Hindu that 4,56,891 students and 52,962 teachers from 9,703 schools across the State would receive the devices equipped with Mobile Device Management (MDM). “The tabs are pre-loaded with the Byju’s app that will provide access to free content for students of Classes 8 and 9. The content is indexed chapter-wise with the textbooks followed in our schools and the subjects include Mathematics, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, History, Geology and Civics,” he informed.

“There are a total of 57 chapters and 472 concepts with 300 videos. The chapters are divided into concepts, which are further divided into a number of videos, each with a length of 2-3 minutes. Besides, there are 168 solved question banks of all the subjects,” he added.

Mr. Suresh Kumar said all schools were being provided with Internet connectivity and to address the problem of students who did not have Internet facility at their home, the entire content of Classes 8 and 9 was loaded in a Secure Digital (SD) Card to make it available all the time, anywhere and everywhere in a year.

Links of videos had been provided for training and self-learning to teachers and students. “The security software in the devices would enable the department to secure data by remotely enforcing policies on tablets and devices within the department and we will also be able to track the student activities,” he said, adding that it would help them prevent students from finding access to unauthorised content on their devices.

The Commissioner said teachers and headmasters would be given access to track the performance of the students through a dashboard which would be created in the tab itself.