NEW DELHI: The Centre has made financial provisions to connect every government school in the country to the internet in the coming days, union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan informed the Rajya Sabha while replying to a question on Wednesday.Pradhan said sustained efforts are underway to ensure that school classrooms are connected to global digital networks in keeping with the growing role of technology in education.He said the government is scaling up Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) across the country to strengthen innovation and hands-on learning in schools. “Over the next five years, 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs will be set up in government schools,” the minister said, adding that 10,000 schools already have functional ATLs.
Pradhan said digital classrooms, skill-based education and teacher capacity building are key focus areas in school education reforms. He noted that the use of technology in education will continue to expand across all levels. Under the BharatNet project, broadband connectivity is being extended to schools in rural areas to bridge the digital divide.On teacher training, the minister said district institutes of education and training (DIETs), run by state governments, are being strengthened to enhance teachers’ professional capacity. He added that financial assistance has also been arranged for DIETs to support this effort.Pradhan said concrete steps are being taken for the modernisation of schools across the country. A new curriculum for teacher education is being developed, which is expected to significantly improve teaching standards. He added that teachers are also being trained to adopt a scientific approach while teaching different subjects to improve learning outcomes.
