TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: The avowed objective behind promoting broadband connectivity was to encourage smart learning in schools. But leave alone smart learning, students as well as teaching faculty of Our Lady of Rosary High School, Fatorda, has no access to circulars despatched by the Education Department via internet for want of broadband connectivity.
Blame it on the Lusofonia Games or otherwise, the school has been without broadband connectivity since the last 10 months for no fault of theirs. During this period, neither the school could download a single circular mailed by the Education Department nor the students could gain access to any learning material.
The Goa Info Tech Corporation has told the school that connectivity was terminated from Fatorda stadium during the renovation of the stadium for the Lusofonia games.
School Manager Fr Alvaro Martins says the school had knocked the doors of the Info Tech Corporation of Goa since day one, but lamented that the fault has not been rectified till date. “When the officials conducted the first inspection on September 21, 2013, it was reported that the connectivity was terminated from Fatorda stadium”, he said.
Fr Martins had been constantly pursuing the matter with the Corporation, only to receive the reasons for the disruption in the connectivity. “When I inquired with the agency on April 14, they said they have asked the IT department for the approval to buy a new fibre cable. On May 14, I was told that they have not received the approval to buy the new cable”, he said.
Incidentally, Fr Martins have been told this month that the file to procure a new cable is still pending with the IT department.
The episode drew sharp reaction from Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, who questioned the government’s response to the situation for the last 10 months. “There’s been no broadband connectivity to the school since September 2013. Is the government interested in education or is playing politics? The department of Info Tech Corporation ought to have been sensitive by restoring the connectivity on a priority basis”, Sardesai said.
