PANJIM: While many schools have banned students from carrying tablets to classrooms, the authorities of higher secondary schools lack opportunity to conduct academic lessons using digital technology. The reason: students are supplied laptops – under the government cyber age scheme, once they pass out from the institutions. The government, on the other hand, assured rectifying the problem.
“In the last 10 years since the scheme’s launch, laptops have not been used in classrooms. We did not have the opportunity to ask students to carry laptops to classrooms for curriculum,” Principal of St Xavier HSS Dr Elvis Gonsalves told Herald.
The institution promotes smart classrooms as teaching and learning is done through LCD projectors. Gonsalves commented that laptops would have facilitated transferring the study materials via pen drive or Bluetooth.
“We have e-lessons ready… one of our subjects is computer awareness. Timely distribution of laptops would have benefited had it been used for academic purpose as students could easily transfer presentations from LCD projectors into their systems,” he said while quickly adding, “The scheme is beautiful provided it is not abused or misused.”
People’s HSS, that recently created history by achieving 100 percent results in all four streams last academic year, endures the same difficulty. Principal Siddharthi Netravalkar said they have verbally spoken to the government requesting to resolve the issue.
Government High Secondary for Arts, Commerce and Science has suggested that parents now hold complete responsibility to check their child’s activities on laptops. “Since students get laptops after they pass out from the institution, it is for the parents to supervise their child’s access to such gadgets. Our role comes till they are studying with us,” said the Principal, wishing anonymity fearing disciplinary action.
Gonsalves also echoed similar opinion saying it was for the parents to remain vigilant about their child’s laptop usage. “It needs proper monitoring both in the institutions and at home…But students get them only when they complete HSS studies,” he said.
Speaking to Herald, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar assured to rectify the problem stating, “We are trying to give laptops to students before they pass their higher secondary… However, if there are delays, the head of departments should bring it to our notice.”
Interestingly, the matter has already been reported to the government with this problem not new to any HSS.
