Smart classrooms with digital boards, virtual lectures, PPT slides: Prayagraj paving the way for others in the state

Pryagaraj: Two hundred eighty-one government schools have been selected in the Prayagraj district, where digital classes will soon be set up. The list includes 11 selected Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas offering free residential education to girls, especially those belonging to scheduled castes (SC), scheduled tribes (ST), other backward classes (OBC), minority communities and children of Below Poverty Line families, confirmed Mr Praveen Kumar Tiwari, Prayagraj’s basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA).

According to the officer, government-run primary schools (standards 1 to 5), upper primary (standards 6 to 8), and composite schools (standards 1 to 8) will be revamped into smart classrooms. The Uttar Pradesh basic education department has begun making the classrooms of these schools of the state smart. The officials close to the development told The Quotes that district administration is prioritizing enhancing the quality of education in the city, due to which flagship initiatives like transforming classes into smart classrooms have been taken.

“The budget of Rs. 2.40 Lakh have been approved for each of these smart classrooms in the selected schools. Maximum 36 primary and upper primary schools chosen for getting the smart classes are from Koraon development block, which is considered the most backward in the district,” informed the officer.

Salient features of smart classrooms:

The initiative will introduce features like interactive boards (digital boards), projectors, speakers, bullet cameras and UPS for power backup in the smart classrooms of government-aided & run secondary schools. Teachers can make learning more interesting by easily accessing images and videos using the library and cloud tools available on the digital board. Also, facilities like students from one school will be permitted to attend virtual lectures on a subject in another school if their teacher of that particular subject is unavailable for any reason. PPT slides, CNX and PNG files will also be generated automatically of whatever is being taught in the class, with the help of which absent students can also refer and study later, informed officer.

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An officer working on the project confirmed that these schools in Prayagraj will also be connected to the existing Integrated Control and Command Centre (ICCC). These schools will also be able to connect with smart schools in other cities of the state through live streaming in the coming months.

Schools where smart classes have been set up:

The mission to convert classes into smart classrooms also includes six schools in Shankargarh development block, nine in Kaundhiara, 13 in Jasra, 16 in Pratappur, seven in Meja, 12 in Phulpur, 11 in Soraon, 10 in Bahadurpur, nine in Mauaima, 38 in Saidabad, 21 in Kandahar, four in Dhanupur, 14 in Manda, 12 in Holagarh, 21 in Karachana, 16 in Baharia, 10 in Handia and 19 in Uruva besides three schools located in the city limits, officials said. The state education department officials have confirmed that under the Smart City initiative’s second phase, 245 classes of 11 government-aided secondary schools and one government secondary school in the city have got requisite equipment needed for functioning as smart classrooms—an upgrade.

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The schools at which smart classes have been set up are KP Inter College, CAV Inter College, Majidia Islamia Inter College, Colonelganj Majiidiya Islamia Inter College, Jamuna Christian Majiidiya Islamia Inter College, Mary Wanamaker Girls Inter College, Mahila Gram Inter College, Crosthwaite Inter College, Mahila Seva Sadan Inter College, DP Girls Mahila Seva Sadan Inter College and Anglo Bengali Inter College besides Government Girls Inter College at Phaphamau.

Earlier in the first phase, eight schools were embellished with smart class facilities. These were Government Girls Inter College at Civil Lines and Katra, Government Inter College, Bharat Scouts and Guide Inter College, Primary and Upper Primary Schools of Rajapur, Lukerganj, Allenganj and Hardware.

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