---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Guru guru@itforchange.net Date: Wed, Jan 14, 2009 at 9:32 PM Subject: Rs 500 crores for computers in Gujarat schools To: ict-education-india@googlegroups.com

Dear friends,

The article in Indian Express (provided below my mail) says that the Gujarat Government is planning a 500 crore outlay on computers in schools. Hopefully it will consist of ICT tools that teachers and students can use to create their own learning resources - both digital learning material as well as software applications/enhancements. This can be an opportunity for teacher educators, teachers and students to create locally relevant and contextual material. The article says the Government is indeed inclined towards FOSS (Free and Open Source Software).

Hopefully it will also avoid spending on 'centrally created "high quality" content or licensed/proprietary software that teachers and students will be 'taught to use'. If we are able to get the large technology vendors off the back of school system, it will be half the battle won, it can then be possible for the teachers to have sometime and resources to figure out, with support, what ICTs could mean to them and their work. Such support of course, needs to be based on a deep understanding of pedagogy rather than technology per se.

It may be worthwhile checking/discussing with the Gujarat Government to share some of our views as well as our Workshop outputs with them. I request those interested to respond or write to me off-list to take this issue further.

regards, Guru PS - Microsoft offering Windows (operating system) free of cost to the Gujarat Government is a typical Microsoft ploy - no wonder the Head of the National IT Institute of Brazil called Microsoft a 'drug pusher' (see www.charlesleadbeater.net/cms/xstandard/Brazil_Open_Source.pdf for some unethical methods adopted by Microsoft) for this reason, offering the initial samples at little or no cost and then benefiting from having made the user dependent on their products. Even if the Gujarat schools get windows free of cost (which also means Microsoft Office is still priced), the students will learn only Microsoft products and buy the same for their own use, which means enormous externalised financial implications of this 'free of cost' decision... Hence as a guardian of public interest, Government need to both adopt and actively promote free software for the high positive societal impact, apart from the specific costs/benefits to them from the decision.

*************************************************************** http://www.indianexpress.com/news/rs-500-cr-for-computers-in-schools/405217/

Rs 500 cr for computers in schools - KAMRAN SULAIMANI Posted: Jan 01, 2009 at 0038 hrs IST

Vadodara: In a unique Information Technology initiative, the Gujarat Government will spend around Rs 500 crore to buy 1,50,000 computers, peripherals and LCDs to equip some 20,000 primary and upper primary schools in the state, over the next five years. The project will also include 3D multimedia educational content software, a cyber-based school management system to monitor school activities, besides providing the requisite IT training to teachers across the state. "Although we had done some technological upgradation in about 5,000 schools earlier, this will be the first massive effort of its kind," Gujarat IT Secretary, Raj Kumar, told Newsline.

IN 2007, the state government had tied up with Educomp for Computer Aided Education (CAE) programmes under the Gujarat Council of Primary Education (GCPE) in 500 schools spread over 25 districts. Educomp had also trained around 1,500 teachers in computer literacy. Gujarat is now taking the cue from schools in Karnataka.

The state government is inclined to go for free open source software (FOSS) for schools. "As of now, the government has decided to go for FOSS, which is available at almost no cost, but Microsoft too has offered to provide their operating system free of cost. It's up to the Education department to decide on it," Kumar added.

The project will be on the build operate transfer (BOT) model. The state will not make the full payment upfront. "We will pay 30 per cent and the remaining 70 per cent will be staggered over the next five years," said Principal Secretary, Education, Hasmukh Adhia. "It's a huge project that could change concepts of teaching and learning. We will also get LCDs for schools capable of displaying 3D stories to help in science subjects," added Adhia. The state will also get funds from the Centre to upgrade IT infrastructure in secondary schools.

Not only schools, but the government has also floated tenders to upgrade the Gujarat State Wide Area Network (GSWAN). "It has been seven years from the day we implemented GSWAN. Technologies change with time and we are in the process of upgrading some equipment," Kumar said. The state government wants network components at taluka GSWAN nodes to integrate with the existing GSWAN infrastructure for enhancement under the SWAN scheme of the Government of India. The state is also improving the leased line bandwidth in all district and taluka locations to integrate it with the existing GSWAN, it was informed.