Bengaluru: Kerala has become the first state in India to go completely digital in public education. It now boasts of high-tech classrooms in all its public schools. 

“This is the achievement of our State which benefits the next generation. LDF government has led the mission. Four missions have announced to rejuvenate public education. All missions were under local body governments. Even though the State has a better public education system it could not develop timely,” chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said. 

The chief minister stressed that schools in Kerala must have world-class facilities. 
“In the last 5 years, 5 lakh students joined in government schools. People’s attitude towards public education system has changed. Our mission was to develop our schools into international standards in academic and other areas. A school in our village should have the same standards as the best school in any part of the world,” he added. 

Asserting that quality education should be the aim and objective, he however added that schools can’t be opened now. 

“Quality education should be provided to all. But schools cannot reopen now. The situation is not suitable to reopen schools. The schools will be re-opened at the appropriate time,” he added, Hindustan Times quoted him.  

The move to improve quality in education was taken as part of Public Education Rejuvenation Mission.
“Over 3.74 lakh digital equipment were distributed in 16,027 schools for the smart classroom project. In the first phase, 45,000 high-tech classrooms for classes 8 to 12 were readied in 4,752 government and aided high schools and higher secondary schools. The project was launched on January 21, 2018. High-tech labs were started in 11,275 primary and upper primary schools for classes 1 to 7. The programme was started on July 5, 2019,” a press release said.

The scheme was implemented by the Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE) with financial assistance from Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KIIFB). MP and MLA funds, local self-government institutions funds were also utilised for setting up the classrooms, ANI notes.