Govt schools to get high-speed internet for online classes

Prayagraj: At a time when internet has become an essential part of everyday working of the schools, be it administrative work or online teaching owing to Covid-19 pandemic, authorities have focused on providing high-speed internet facility at the government-run primary and upper primary schools located in the gram panchayats of seven development blocks of Prayagraj district.
The facility of free high-speed broadband internet connection, being provided by BharatNet, a central government initiative under Digital India, would be extended to all the schools in phased wise manner. Following this, these government schools would get high-speed internet throughout the year.
From sharing academic content with students largely on whatsapp or to be able to conduct classes online, the facility would help teachers, especially during the present crisis, feels the officials. “The initiative will cover such schools located in Manda, Pratappur, Bahadurpur, Bahariya, Soraon, Karchana and Phulpur development blocks”, said basic shiksha adhikari (BSA), Prayagraj, Sanjay Kumar Kushwaha.
“Once the facility is ready, teachers would now be coming to schools to take virtual classes. The Block Education Officers (BEOs) of these seven blocks have been instructed to make available one passport size photograph, Aadhaar card and an identity proof of each of the headmaster or principal of these schools at the earliest to us for the free high-speed broadband internet connections to their respective institutions,” he said.
Kushwaha said that the district administration was also overseeing the project and the chief development officer had chaired a meeting in this regard on August 7 in which he instructed that the free high-speed broadband internet connections to these schools be provided at the earliest.
“During the corona crisis, we are called at the schools and we try our best to continue teaching online, but internet is a huge issue which hinders our effort. Now, when we would be provided with high-speed internet connection, it would take care of many of the problems that we face”, said a primary teacher, posted at a primary government school at Karchana block of the district.