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Rajasthan marches ahead in computer education

Special Correspondent

Four more MoUs signed under public-private partnership with leading firms

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan Government has signed four more MoUs under public-private partnership in computer education to carry forward its "Education Initiative" launched early this year. The signatories include Intel, GeSCI and American Indian Federation, which will help the State in computer education of the girl child, training of the teachers and in overall improvement in the educational standards.

Rajasthan, which took the plunge at the meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos this year by adopting the pattern of the Jordan Education Initiative in universalisation of computer education, has already signed similar agreements with Microsoft, Asim Premji Foundation, and Hall in the Wall, among others.

The new MoUs were signed on the second day of the two-day meeting of the Rajasthan Education Initiative, attended by K. Kasturirangan, chairman of the sub-group on human resource development of the Economic Policy and Reforms Council and representatives of the World Economic Forum and GeSCI (Global e School and Community Initiative), in the presence of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.

Addressing the meeting, Ms. Raje expressed the hope that the spread of computer literacy would bring about social changes besides ushering in overall economic development in the State. She appealed to NGOs to take up a participatory role in the initiative.

Talking to media persons, Education Minister Ghanshyam Tiwari said that with the latest agreements as many as 18 districts of Rajasthan had been covered under the Education Initiative. "Rajasthan is the first State to take such an initiative. Computer application would be made a part of day-to-day life with the younger generation in the State," he said.

"It is not merely computer education alone as it had been in the case of Jordan Imitative. The Rajasthan Education Initiative would take care of the overall development of the student, helping to improve the learning skills," Mr. Tiwari claimed.

Satyadeep Rajan of the World Economic Forum and Paul Callan, director of GeSCI, Ireland, hailed Rajasthan's initiative in IT education as a pioneering step. "This kind of political will is not easy to come by," Mr.Rajan said. "Rajasthan has been our first choice," Mr.Callan observed.

As per the agreement, Intel would train teachers of 3600 schools in Rajasthan where computer education is being provided to students. Intel also will help develop the State's IT Vision besides adopting five teachers' training institutions here. GeSCI and American Indian Association also would be supporting the State in training teachers in computer education. Another signatory of MoU, Bodh, working among slum children, would help to introduce computer education to schools located in slum areas of the Capital.

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