Just three weeks before the half-yearly exams, computer education has been introduced in government schools for classes 1 to 8. The Education Director, following the recommendation of the NCERT, has issued orders to implement this initiative. However, administrators of these schools are facing a surprising challenge – among the 2968 schools in the district, not a single one possesses a computer for educational purposes.

In this total count, there are 2223 primary schools and 745 upper primary schools. The lack of clarity in the issued orders adds to the confusion. It remains uncertain whether there will be an examination for computer education during the upcoming half-yearly exams or not. The sudden introduction of computer education raises concerns about the feasibility and preparedness of these schools to incorporate this new curriculum.

According to the directive from Director Kanaram, children will receive instruction based on the curriculum developed by the NCERT. School administrators and teachers have been directed to utilize online content for computer education and other subjects. Concurrently, experts propose that each school should have a minimum of one computer system per class as a fundamental requirement for computer education.

The recommendation specifies that primary schools should have a minimum of 5 systems each, while upper primary schools should have 8 systems each, along with dedicated rooms for these systems. Additionally, a notable challenge lies in the absence of books related to computer education. It is important to highlight that government schools are scheduled to conduct semi-annual exams from December 11 to December 23.

The academic session has been structured to incorporate specific hours dedicated to computer education. Eighth-grade students are mandated to engage in a comprehensive study of 120 hours over the course of the entire session. Conversely, the youngest students in the first grade have a more modest study requirement, set at 40 hours.

For students in the second, third, and fourth grades, the allocated study time is standardized at 60 hours each. The fifth-grade curriculum necessitates a study commitment of 80 hours. Moving forward, students in the sixth and seventh grades are expected to dedicate a cumulative 100 hours to the subject throughout the academic session. This strategic distribution aims to provide a balanced and age-appropriate emphasis on computer education across different grade levels.

Computers are only in Secondary and Higher Secondary Schools

• 2223 Primary Schools
• 745 Upper Primary Schools
• 801 Government Higher Secondary Schools
• 124 English Medium Schools
• 3893 Total Schools
• 3.45 Lakh Students in Schools with 8th Class 

Source: Dainik Bhaskar