Computer classes come to a halt in state-run schools

Principals,class teachers and now computer instructors — Punjab’s government seems to be doing everything to ruin the primary education system in the state. Close on the heels of controversies over appointments and promotions of principals and teachers comes another problem wherein the unwarranted delay in renewing a contract with a private company is depriving the students in 700 government schools of the state from attending their computer classes for the last four months.

The responsibility of maintaining computer systems installed in these schools (109 in Jalandhar,120 in Ludhiana,105 in Patiala and 85 in Hoshiarpur) was given to HCL. The contract had expired four months ago but the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) wing of the state government’s education department has neither renewed nor entered into a fresh contract with the company. As a result,around 1000 computers in these schools are lying dysfunctional.

Under the state’s education curriculum,computer education is a part of the syllabus for all students from Classe 6 onwards. “It is very vital as most of the students are unable to afford the training given in private computer institutes,” said a teacher.

When contacted,Harish Kumar,incharge ICT Jalandhar,said that computers of the schools in the first phase are not working as the contract with the company had not been renewed,“But the Director General School Education (DGSE) has sanctioned an amount of Rs 1 lakh to repair these faulty computer systems. We will have a fresh contract soon.”