Just 40% of Goa schools from Class VI-XII have computers

PANAJI: Though Goa was one of the earliest states to start providing computers and computer laboratories in schools in 2000-01, only 40% of schools from class VI to XII in the state today have functional computers, according to data of the DISE, a database maintained by a wing of the Union human resource development (HRD) ministry.

Goa’s figure of high schools and higher secondary schools with a functional computer is lower than the national average, which stands at 52%.

The Goa government had introduced the Computer Literacy Programme (CLP) in all government and government-aided high schools from the financial year 2000-01 for the students of VIII to X standards with an aim to achieve 100% computer literacy. It is under this programme that the state government had introduced the ‘Cyberage Students Scheme’ from 2002-03, where the government supplied one computer to each of the students.


But, according to the DISE data, the states of Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Haryana, Punjab and Tripura were much better off than Goa, with over 70% of schools from class VI to XII having computers in working condition.

Few states were worst off than Goa such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Telangana.

The data shows that Goa is doing well, at close to 86%, in providing computers in working condition at the high school level, but it is when the data for the higher secondary school level is taken into consideration that the state government’s figure takes a beating. At the primary school level too, only 6% schools have computers in working condition. This brings Goa’s figure of schools with functional computers for all schools i.e. from class I to XII to just around 28%.

Though this percentage is double the national average for all schools with computers in working condition, Goa is lagging far behind many states. Goa has been left in the league of states like Nagaland and Uttarakhand.

Only in March this year, state minister for information and technology Rohan Khaunte had said that the ministry has plans to revise the computer syllabus taught in schools. He said that it will be ensured that all schools have a computer laboratory.