Free laptops for Indian students?High school students will be given free laptops? If this happens it will give a boost to our education system. This will end or narrow the divide between urban and rural areas as well as social groups. E-learning would also expand, improving the overall quality of education. This is the era of globalization and hence such innovative ideas need to be implemented if India has to be on par with the most developed countries in the world.
AIADMK of Tamil Nadu achieved assembly poll success by promising laptops for all students. Remember it was Tamil Nadu which had come with the midday meal scheme which later replicated in the rest of the country.
There are critics who say that there are many schools which run without blackboards, toilets, electricity and even adequate number of teachers. Education is the property of privileged, they say. They question as to how can laptops be provided to all students when there are major problems like those mentioned above left to be tackled?
But if we have to progress rapidly such innovative schemes need to be implemented urgently. Such schemes will buoy the learning skills of vast numbers of youngsters and augment their employability. Governments across India should not find it a problem to spend huge sums on laptops since it is already spending extremely huge amount on social welfare schemes. Laptops will upgrade students' skills. Also a fast-globalizing nation like India should place technology-aided education at the core of its developmental strategies.
Many political parties in UP and Punjab have promised free laptops for 11th and 12th standard students if they win the elections. But can they keep their promise, considering the high costs involved. If they succeed in keeping the promise, it will radically change the country's educational scenario.
Distributing laptops, which can contribute to efficient accessing of information and knowledge, is no doubt a good thing. But some experts say that providing of laptops to the students can considerably lower their levels of reading, writing and math skills. They question as to where large numbers of students are struggling to do basic math and constructing properly worded sentences, what use are laptops? Another question they ask is after a lot of money is spent on providing laptops to students, who will maintain those laptops, and who will provide appropriate educational software? The next question they ask is whether villages have electricity and the internet to power laptops?
It is true that introduction of such technology is possible only when there is a robust educational base. So it would be wise on the part of government if it first provided all the schools the minimum infrastructures like blackboards, toilets and enough teachers before doling out free laptops.
AIADMK of Tamil Nadu achieved assembly poll success by promising laptops for all students. Remember it was Tamil Nadu which had come with the midday meal scheme which later replicated in the rest of the country.
There are critics who say that there are many schools which run without blackboards, toilets, electricity and even adequate number of teachers. Education is the property of privileged, they say. They question as to how can laptops be provided to all students when there are major problems like those mentioned above left to be tackled?
But if we have to progress rapidly such innovative schemes need to be implemented urgently. Such schemes will buoy the learning skills of vast numbers of youngsters and augment their employability. Governments across India should not find it a problem to spend huge sums on laptops since it is already spending extremely huge amount on social welfare schemes. Laptops will upgrade students' skills. Also a fast-globalizing nation like India should place technology-aided education at the core of its developmental strategies.
Many political parties in UP and Punjab have promised free laptops for 11th and 12th standard students if they win the elections. But can they keep their promise, considering the high costs involved. If they succeed in keeping the promise, it will radically change the country's educational scenario.
Distributing laptops, which can contribute to efficient accessing of information and knowledge, is no doubt a good thing. But some experts say that providing of laptops to the students can considerably lower their levels of reading, writing and math skills. They question as to where large numbers of students are struggling to do basic math and constructing properly worded sentences, what use are laptops? Another question they ask is after a lot of money is spent on providing laptops to students, who will maintain those laptops, and who will provide appropriate educational software? The next question they ask is whether villages have electricity and the internet to power laptops?
It is true that introduction of such technology is possible only when there is a robust educational base. So it would be wise on the part of government if it first provided all the schools the minimum infrastructures like blackboards, toilets and enough teachers before doling out free laptops.
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