HYDERABAD: Digital gaps in classrooms remain a major concern in Telangana, as government schools continue to lag behind national standards in digital education infrastructure. This is despite the Education department claiming that several initiatives have been taken to promote digital-enabled learning.
According to the latest Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) 2024–25 report, only 21% of government schools in Telangana have computer facilities, compared to the national average of 64.7%. Teachers said that many devices are non-functional and there is also a shortage of technical experts.
The report shows that out of 43,154 schools in the state, both government and private, only 16,794 have functional desktops or PCs. In government schools, just 6,409 out of 30,057 have working desktops or PCs, many without proper internet connection or separate computer labs. Only 5,197 schools have functional projectors, while just 2,529 government schools with middle and secondary sections have ICT labs. Primary schools are yet to be equipped.
Private schools fare slightly better. Out of 12,474 unaided schools, 10,163 have working desktops or PCs and 7,043 are equipped with projectors.
Teachers pointed out that digital resource distribution remains inconsistent in government schools due to budgetary constraints, lack of infrastructure, technical expertise shortages and unreliable internet connectivity.
M Ravinder, in-charge headmaster of Government School, Nallakunta, said, “The state government claims there has been a boost in digital education, but ground reality is different. They have not appointed technical experts to assist teachers. Even after repeated representations last academic year, our projectors and PCs remain defunct.”
Ahmed Khan, a government school teacher, said, “Our school has computers but no separate labs. We have had to set them up in classrooms. Despite repeated requests, our pleas for separate labs have fallen on deaf ears.”