CM ushers in digital revolution

PNS| Bapatla

Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has said that the government started the digital revolution in every school by offering English medium education through digital platforms, with the aim of bringing equality in education.“It’s a God-given gift to celebrate my birthday with children, for whom we should provide good education as best assets,” he said.

Celebrating his birthday amidst cheering school children on Wednesday, the Chief Minister ushered in the digital revolution by distributing free tabs to eighth class students and announcing that digital classrooms would begin from the next academic year.

Addressing a mammoth gathering at Sri Alapati Venkataramaiah Zilla Parishad High School here, Jagan said that around Rs 686 crore was spent to distribute 5,18,740 tabs loaded with Byju’s app content free of cost to 4.59 lakh students besides teachers, which can be used even in offline mode. The cost of each tab with content would be Rs 32,000.

The State government’s intention is to facilitate digital education to make learning easy for students in classrooms and at home as well.The distribution of tabs will continue for one week across the State and it will be a yearly event, he said.

Highlighting the salient features of the tab, he said that besides Telugu, English and Hindi, the curriculum would be in eight languages designed based on CBSE syllabus to prepare students to perform well at national-level competitive exams.A safe mobile device management software has been installed in the tab to secure data and track the student’s activities, he said, adding that it would deny access to any undesirable material.

The tabs come with three-year warranty and can be repaired or replaced if given in the concerned village/ward secretariat.They either get it repaired or provide an alternative tab within one week, he said. Tabs will be distributed to eighth class students every year to make subjects easily comprehensible towards providing better education.

Steps are also being taken by the government to introduce teaching through Interactive Flat Panels (Digital Display Boards) by June, 2023 in 30,032 classrooms of sixth and above in 15,634 schools where Nadu-Nedu phase-I works have been completed.

Besides, smart TVs will be set up in foundation and foundation plus schools, the Chief Minister said.Recalling the struggles of the parents, who could not afford to educate their children, he said that education was the only way to change the minds and fate of the students. “Keeping this in mind, the government has brought in revolutionary changes in the education sector to improve the future of the children,” he added.

Expressing concern over the ‘bigoted ideology’ of a section of people that poor students should not get English medium and digital education, he said that gaps in the society should be removed and there should be equality in the education provided to students.

“Children’s mindsets will only change with a good education system. The aim is to make future generations better and every family can develop only if there is equality in education,” he opined. The CM said that a total of Rs 54,910 crore had been spent by the government so far on reforms in the education sector.

“Under Amma Vodi, Rs 19,617.53 crore was disbursed to 44,48,865 beneficiaries,” said Jagan. “Under Jagananna Vidya Deevena, Rs 9,051.57 crore was given to 24,74,544 beneficiaries and under YSR Sampoorna Poshana, Rs 4,895.45 crore was distributed to 34,19,875 people.

Rs 3,349.57 crore was disbursed to 18,77,863 beneficiaries under Jagananna Vasathi Deevena, Rs 3,239.43 crore to 43,26,782 beneficiaries under Jagananna Goru Mudda, a sum of Rs 2,368.33 crore to 47,32,065 beneficiaries under Jagananna Vidya Kanuka and Rs 16,450 crore will be spent for the total revamp of 56,572 educational institutions in three phases, he said.

Education Minister Botcha Satyanarayana, Endowments Minister Kottu Satyanarayana, Social Welfare Minister Merugu Nagarjuna, Bapatla MP Nandigam Suresh, Rajya Sabha member Mopidevi Venkata Ramana and other public representatives were also present.