Out of 950 ICT labs, only 420 functional in J&K

MoE says J&K must give priority to complete ICT and smart classrooms

SRINAGAR: The Department of School Education & Literacy of the Ministry of Education has asked Jammu and Kashmir to prioritize completing the Information and Communication Technology in the region.
ICT labs are spaces for teaching and learning about computers and other digital technologies. They can help students develop digital literacy skills, learn new skills, and collaborate in collaborative learning.
Under Samagra Shiksha Scheme over 950 ICT labs were sanctioned for Jammu and Kashmir. However, only 420 stands functional in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
This was taken up during the meeting of the Project Approval Board (PAB) for the UT of Jammu & Kashmir under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme for the FY 2024-25.
During the meeting, it was observed that a total of 950 ICT labs were approved by the UT, of which only 420 are functional.
The benefits of digital education can be leveraged only when these pending ICT and smart classrooms are made functional. Further, DIKSHA [Digital Infrastructure for School Education) is an important resource of QR-coded textbooks and specialized eContents, and this needs to become part of the pedagogy in the classroom, wherein the resources available can be used by teachers in classroom transactions, it said.
The Ministry of Education emphasized that priority must be given to completing ICT and smart classrooms so that our children can utilize these resources. To further augment this effort, the focus should also be on saturating internet connectivity, especially in secondary and senior secondary schools.