Civic schools to get computers

SURAT, June 29: Taking a cue from its counterpart in Ahmedabad, the Surat Municipal Corporation plans to start computer education for cla...

SURAT, June 29: Taking a cue from its counterpart in Ahmedabad, the Surat Municipal Corporation plans to start computer education for class six and seven students studying in civic schools by August.

Talking to Express Newsline Rajesh Desai, member of the Nagar Prathamik Shikshan Samiti NPSS, said about 200 computers would be installed in 40 different centres, with each centre consisting more than six schools.

According to information, CPS Peripherals Division, which bagged the contract, will train 213 school teachers, who in turn will impart computer education to the 30,475 students.

Earlier, the SMC, in its annual budget for 1999-2000, had earmarked Rs 45 lakh for introducing computer education in civic schools. While the CPS, the lowest bidder 8212; who had quoted Rs 40,97,720 8212; received the contract, it will have to arrange for all the paraphernalia required, prepare syllabus, train teachers and repair computers free of cost for one year as a part of the tender condition.

The company will shortly install the computers 8212; which will be the property of civic schools 8212; in all the 40 centres.

The teachers, who would be trained by July end, according to Desai, would be extras thereby not affecting regular teaching. There is an extra teacher in every school where the number of students is more than 500.

The teachers who have shown interest to undergo training include 108 from Gujarati-medium, 61 from Marathi-medium , 18 from Urdu-medium, 14 from Hindi-medium, six from Telugu-medium, four from Oriya-medium and two from Sindhi-medium schools.

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Civic School No 181 is likely to be biggest centre, where 724 students would receive computer education, followed by school No 113 where 554 students would attend computer classes. While nine computers would be installed in school No 181, six would be installed in Katargam School No 113.

The NPSS this time has taken utmost care to ensure that its plans do not run in rough weather like last year, when a Varachha-based company had been awarded the contract.

The company could not start computer education even three months after getting the contract and wanted more time to fulfill the commitment. The samiti had to later cancel the contract, Desai said.

But this year the samiti members are confident that the plans would take off from August. The samiti had also sent some members to Ahmedabad to study the project there and it was based on their report that it invited tenders for introducing computer education in civic schools.