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Online learning facility in government schools soon

— Photo : T. Singaravelou

Director of School Education S. Sundaravadivelu (right) and Regional Director-Asia Pacific and Japan Oracle Education Initiatives Krishna Sistla signing an MoU in the presence of Public Health Minister A. Namassivayam in Puducherry on Thursday.

PUDUCHERRY: The Directorate of School Education has entered into a pact with Oracle Education Foundation to introduce “ThinkQuest,” an online learning facility in government schools in Puducherry.

Director of School Education S. Sundaravadivelu and Regional Director, Asia Pacific and Japan, Oracle Education Initiatives, Krishna Sistla, signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the presence of Public Health Minister A. Namassivayam on Thursday.

“ThinkQuest” will enable teachers to integrate learning projects in their classroom curriculum and students to develop critical 21st Century skills, including creativity, communication, teamwork and technology skills, according to a release.

It is expected that this tie-up would benefit 25,000 students in 427 government schools over the next three years.

Training would be imparted to 450 teachers from high schools and higher secondary schools in the first phase, while 550 teachers from middle and primary schools designated by the directorate as smart schools would be trained in the second phase.

Selected teachers would then be eligible to attend Oracle Education Foundation’s Project Learning Institute, an advanced training course on project learning methodology, the release said.

“It will be introduced in high and higher secondary schools in the coming academic year. We will slowly expand it to middle and primary schools and cover all the schools in one or two years,” Mr. Sundaravadivelu said.

The directorate was taking steps to make teaching child-oriented than teacher-centric and this tie-up was another step in that direction.

Mr. Sistla said “ThinkQuest” would help to connect students to the outside world. “Students are going through the complexity of using computers effectively to build up knowledge and critical skills,” he said.

Mr. Namassivayam exhorted teachers to impart education according to the present day needs and scientific developments.

“ThinkQuest,” which was launched in the country in 2004, at present supported over 2,10,000 students and teachers in over 1,550 schools across the country including Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Vidyalayas, the release said.

Director, Oracle Education Initiatives, Ajay Kapur, Joint Director J. Krishnaraju, Chairperson of Puducherry Municipality B. Sridevi and councillor V. Baskaran spoke.

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