Team Herald
PANJIM: Goa IT Professionals (GITP) have demanded low cost revival of dead computer labs in Goan schools. GITP said that it plans to move the Prime Minister’s office to force the right decisions.
In a meeting with Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, and heads from the Education and IT departments, GITP again presented its recommendations on revival of school-level computer education which has been in a dilapidated condition.
GITP in January 2016 had met the Chief Minister and his team, including Goa InfoTech Corporation leaders, on the matter and have been following up for time-bound and judicious utilization of the Rs 25 crore provisioned by the government for this purpose in the current financial year.
“With low cost, high durability and globally proven hardware options like Raspberry Pi available today, coupled with comprehensive Free Open-Source Software (FOSS) covering all educational needs up to Class XII and beyond, the nearly-dead school computer labs across Goa could be fully revived within Rs 2 crore while the rest could be utilized to provide schools with solar-powered computer labs, smart-classrooms, funding for tech clubs, inter-school tech competitions, tech camps during vacations, etc,” GITP said in a statement.
GITP expressed its disappointment to Parsekar about the Goa InfoTech Corp tender for procurement of 4468 expensive and virus-prone computers for schools with Microsoft Windows and Office software despite GITP’s demonstration of low cost and efficient alternatives in three schools last academic year.
“The bold initiative of Goa Board to revamp computer education for Classes IX to XII was explained to the Chief Minister along with the need for it to be extended to lower classes to ensure early technology introduction,” GITP said.
GITP is also planning to approach the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to ensure that the right things are done for effective computer education in Goa without wastage of public funds.
