What Kerala did that others could not

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: "Digital display board in the classroom helps me a lot in understanding even the most difficult concepts in physics and mathematics. The audio visuals used to teach the nuances of language help all of us to improve our language and communication skills as never before. What I like the most is the computer science lab where we get hands-on experience in IT," said Dakshina Anand, a 10th standard student in a government higher secondary school in Kozhikode, the northern district in Kerala.

All classrooms in Chalappuram government higher secondary school where Dakshina studies were developed into hi-tech classrooms in 2018 as part of the public education rejuvenation mission, a flagship project launched by Kerala government in 2016. Marking the culmination of the mission, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has recently declared the public education sector in the state 'fully digital'. Around 45,000 hi-tech classrooms and over 11000 hi-tech labs were newly set up as part of the mission. The facilities introduced in these public schools are absent on the same scale even in leading private schools in the state. Close to two lakh teachers have undergone training on how to use Information and Communication Technology (ICT) equipment and digital content for effective academic transactions.