Ensuring education for all

Nandita Singh

HYDERABAD: In AP now out-of-school (over-aged) children and adults can also learn that too by themselves and at their own pace. “Bridges to Future” – the latest initiative by Department of School Education, AP ensures this. This interactive self-paced, self-learning software developed by EduComp is in Telugu and Urdu.

“This will be installed at the Community Learning Centers (CLCs),” said Department of School Education Principal Secretary Dr IV Subba Rao informing that the training to use the software began just five days back. However, this is just a small part of the multi-pronged approach to tackle illiteracy in the State.

“Illiteracy is usually defined in two extremes – either you are illiterate or you are literate. The shades in-between have been ignored so far. We are trying to capture the levels of literacy – the continuum,” said Rao explaining that this will help them tackle the issue very specifically.

“HP is already doing a pilot on the 'Literacy Assessment Program' in 30 villages in Kuppam. A prototype of the computer-based test has been developed which rates on five levels. The camera mounted on a movable kiosk takes the picture of the person taking the test and the connected printer instantly prints the result along with the picture. The scores indicate if the person is on level 1, level 2...5.

“The results of the pilot have just come and we have to look at the data and then decide if we need to change the test or can go ahead and use as it is,” said Rao.

However, at this point of time the focus areas are schools and CLCs. “A upper primary school every three km is fine and so is a well-equipped CLC in every Gram Panchayat. But it is the quality of learning that is important and we are focusing on,” said Rao adding that, “A retention rate of over 90 percent is also our objective in primary education.”

This implies that the story begins with enrollment and attendance monitoring is of prime importance to take timely, corrective action to arrest drop out rates. Said Rao, “From August onwards PDAs will be used to monitor school attendance in all the 1,210 Mandals. Each Mandal has three Mandal Resource Persons (MRPs) who will be equipped with these PDAs, which will have the data of the concerned Mandal. The MRP will use it to record attendance and will be able to finish his job on an average not even 10 minutes a class.

“We have already procured 4,700 PDAs installed with the software for the purpose. (Manufactured by Casio each is priced at Rs 5,000). The software was developed by IIIT, Hyderabad. About 100 master trainers, three from each district, will be trained by the IIIT for the purpose. In fact, the training is about to begin in a week or so,” he added.

This data on the PDA will be updated on the systems at Mandal Resource Centers (MRCs) and from there on it goes to AP Online. “Finally, being uplinked is the ultimate dream. It will take time but that too will happen,” said Rao.

The automated attendance monitoring not only saves time at the MRP/MEO level activities but also brings clarity in children education details. Considering that there was no such children education data available it´s a big step forward. And coupled with Childinfo software -- developed by MIS, District Primary Education Program (DPEP) -- through which so far the details of about 1.8 crore children have been compiled, it will make generating reports on children data accurate and easier thus impacting child welfare positively, especially in the education sector.