BENGALURU: Inspired by the Digital India campaign, a government high school in Mysuru district is putting all its study material online.
The school in Bandahalli, 60 km from Mysuru, is uploading, among other things, solved question papers, exam time tables, and a photo gallery.
The school has 107 students, all of them from agricultural families. It has a staff of seven — five teaching and two support.
The website, with the address http://ghsbandahallikrn.org, will be formally launched on March 18.
Dr Suresh, headmaster, told Express, “Parents think government schools lack modern amenities. We want our students to get on to a global platform.”
A PhD in education, Suresh has been working at the school for five years. “We had a computer section with 13 systems sanctioned by the government. But we couldn’t put them to good use for want of steady power supply,” he said.
He then spent about Rs 6,000 of his personal money on a UPS and started to teach children using a large screen.
“I observed that students showed more interest when they saw visuals on screen. There were times when our students asked us to continue teaching even after school hours,” Suresh told Express.
The thought of a website came to his mind in September 2015, where talk about Digital India was in the air.
“I shared the idea with my colleague Subbaraman, who teaches English. We chalked out a plan. I spent about Rs 15,000 on the design. We found a designer in Mysuru and I visited him during the holidays,” he said.
Initially the content will be in Kannada. English will be added later, Suresh said.
For Teachers Too
The website not only caters to the needs of the students but also of government school employees. Suresh said, “There are times when Education Department circulars and orders reach some schools late. We plan to upload them on the website. This is also to sensitise teachers to the use of computers.” The school is approaching various organisations for more computers. “We want to educate farmers about agriculture and the use of technology. Farmers still believe only in conventional farming and think changing their methods may place them at risk. We want to educate them,” he said.
What is Digital India?
It is an initiative to increase Internet connectivity and deliver government services electronically. It was launched on July 1, 2015, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Its objectives include connecting rural areas with high-speed Internet networks and improving digital literacy.
What’s Online?
Solved question papers, study material, teachers’ profiles, academic calendars and exam time-tables, Education Department notifications, results, video and photo galleries, admission information, teachers’ and students’ milestones.
new & better experience
We face frequent power cuts in our village, but our headmaster has bought a UPS at his own expense. We are thrilled to know that people anywhere in the world can read about the activities of our school
— Darshan, Class X student
We find our lessons more interesting when computers are used. The visual experience gives clarity. Sometimes, we sit even after class hours to learn new things
— Gagana, Class IX student
Our school is an answer to those who say private schools are better than government ones. The website is a special addition to our technology-driven education.
— Sachin, Class X student