Elementary education in the country is set to go hi-tech. A pilot project approved by the HRD Ministry today will link nearly 1,000 schools in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh through EDUSAT, the exclusive education satellite.The project will take off on November 19, the birth anniversary of former prime minister Indira Gandhi.Launched on September 20, 2004, EDUSAT has enhanced distance education in the country, especially in medical, technical and higher education streams. In parts of Kerala and Karnataka, it has also been used to link rural schools.But the new project will—for the first time—test the viability of satellite-enabled elementary education in the Hindi heartland. ‘‘If it is found successful, it can be replicated in a large number of inaccessible rural schools, adding value to elementary education,’’ said an HRD Ministry official, adding, ‘‘This mechanism can help rural schools overcome a host of deficiencies.’’The project will be run by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)—the former will set up technical infrastructure while the latter will develop courses and train teachers.At cost of nearly Rs 12 crore—most of it from ISRO—the project will cover schools in Chhattisgarh’s Kora district, Bihar’s Babhua, UP’s Son Bhadra and MP’s Sidhi.The project will involve setting up a central control system at Jabalpur’s Pandit D P Mishra Institute of Information Technology, which will be connected to rural schools. The Rani Durgawati University in Jabalpur will collaborate on human resources training.The technical apparatus to be set up in these schools will be run on solar power—teachers will be trained to operate it, said officials, adding that the network will turn interactive later.Teachers in these rural schools will also help IGNOU develop teaching material with local relevance, said officials. After school hours, the communication network can be used for other development activities.‘‘It could be used for tele-medicine, agriculture, etc., linking the hinterland to expertise outside,’’ the official said.
