After 13 TMC classes went hi-tech 2 yrs ago, 200 more to follow suit

THANE: After establishing 13 tech-savvy classes in 2016, as many as 200 civic school classrooms in Thane are set to undergo a major transformation in terms of innovative digital learning techniques by the next academic year.

The technological classrooms equipped with audio-visual facilities, projectors, microphones, etc for live inter-classroom interactions will be accessible to both primary as well as secondary schoolchildren, claimed the

Thane Municipal Corporation

(TMC).

The TMC had allocated a budget of Rs 6.5 crore two years ago to inaugurate 13 such virtual classrooms with an intent to not only provide children with a broader horizon of practical knowledge, but to also encourage them to come to school daily.

A civic official said, “We will be conducting a survey of all the civic schools in Thane before shortlisting the schools. At present, we have decided that 32 primary and 168 secondary school classrooms across the city will be digitized. Since knowing basic technological skills is the need of the hour this initiative will even help the children in their future. If learning is made fun and interactive they will participate in the classroom sessions. Dull subjects can be spiced up with talks from experts sitting even across the globe with the help of this technology.”

The next batch of classrooms for which a fund of Rs 7. 6 crore has been allocated by the civic bureaucracy is expected to finish by February next year, added the officials.

Speaking about the project, Surendra Dighe, a city-based educational activist, said, “Teachers also must learn and train themselves to deal with technological devices. The facilities more than half the time remain non-functional because the staffers are not able to use it efficiently. Moreover, they should be able to answer queries that will arise through this new media as the kids these days are very inquisitive and alert.”