Govt pursuing high quality literacy in schools: Minister

Hyderabad, Jan 9 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Minister for School Education N Rajyalakshmi today said the State Government had been pursuing a policy of promoting basic education, literacy and technological literacy in an attempt to bridge the digital divide and for a value- based education from the primary level.

Inaugurating the CD for dropout children and primary school students on Telugu literacy prepared by the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan(SSA) under the project Bridges to the Future Initiatives(BFI) she said the CDs would be helpful to the dropouts to acquire Telugu education.

Ms Rajyalakshmi said the State Government and International Literacy Institute(ILI )at the University of Pennsylvania(USA) had collaborated to produce an innovative curriculum and teaching process in Telugu that enbales children, youth and adults to be integrated in today's society driven Information Technology.

She said the Government had provided computer education in 1000 schools in the state and provided computers in another 800 schools.

The Government plan was to provide computer education in 9000 schools in the state, she added.

She said it was necessary to bring changes in the education system to provide technology based education in view of the rapid changes in Information and Communication Technology(ICT) system. The old system of education had gone and on-line system of education emrged in the present situation, she added.

She said the Government had incorporated school books in website and planning to take home work on online system. This would be possible only when the schools having computer, he added.

She said through the BFI computers and other ICT, infrastructure was used for the benefit of the regular Secondary School students and teachers. After school hours, youth, who had had little or no years of formal education now have access to the same computers and as well as culturally appropriate and educational effective software, she added.

The Principal Secretary School Education P Krishnaiah, State Project Director, SSA, Director of School Education Balasubramanyam and other education officials attended the function.

UNI