BANGALORE: The State Government has requested information technology companies to donate 1,000 computers to government, aided and unaided colleges offering job-oriented courses.

On Monday, Infosys Technologies Limited donated 100 computers to the Government valued at Rs. 35,79,200, said Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Basavaraj S. Horatti.

Addressing reporters here, he said the Government had requested IT firms to donate computers which would be used to provide training to students.

Several government and aided colleges in the State, he said, offered job-oriented courses for students who have passed the pre-university (PU) examination. Mr. Horatti thanked the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), which was coordinating with IT firms in the task of getting 1,000 computers.

He said the Education Department was considering recruiting over 5,000 candidates for the post of teacher for job-oriented courses. A proposal has been submitted to the Finance Department in this regard.

The Department was also preparing new syllabi for these courses, he said.

Institute building

Mr. Horatti said the Centre had agreed to release Rs. two crore, under the 12th Finance Commission, for the construction of a building for the State Institute of Vocational Education.

The Centre had already released Rs. 20 lakh in this regard. The building would come up on a 14,000 square-foot area at Malleshwaram in the City and the foundation stone would be laid next month, he said.

Physical education

The Minister said the Department was considering a proposal to introduce physical education as a compulsory subject at the primary level.

Many government and aided primary schools had not appointed physical directors, he said.

New schools

Permission to open new schools would be given only if their managements were each able to provide two acres for a school playground, he added.

On Tuesday, an expert committee on physical education headed by Prof. L.R. Vaidyanathan, a retired Physical Director of Bangalore University, submitted a report on the issue to Mr. Horatti. The committee recommended that physical education be taught just like other subject at the primary level.

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