BBMP failed to implement project to digitalize government schools in Bangalore due to lack of funds.
By Yumna Ahmed
Roshni project which was initiated in September 2018 is still kept on hold due to lack of funds. It promotes digital education with laptops and projectors but first infrastructure needs to be improved, said BBMP official of the Infrastructure Department.
As part of the project, schools under BBMPwere to have technologies such as Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning.
Harish Kumar, Executive of Education department, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) said, “Due to lack of funds there is a delay in implementing Roshni Project. Repainting and providing all the facilities under the project at all schools and colleges under BBMP is a difficult task to carry out in such a short time.”
Under the Rs. 500 crore Roshni project digital equipments like laptop and access to digital reading.
BBMP’s Engineer in Chief, N Manjunath, told The Softcopy that they will soon take initiative on the project as there has been an increase in admission in government schools.
He said that infrastructure is a basic need for schools and BBMP is working on maintenance of the toilets in schools. “We are also providing teacher training courses for quality education. We will start implementing Roshni Project soon at all the 155 schools and colleges run by BBMP.”
When the Softcopy visited Sri Vinaya Government school in Vijay Nagar which is a primary and secondary school, they found that the Roshni Project has not been implemented yet.
Science teacher at a Government School, Pradeep Kumar told The Softcopy that the infrastructure of the schools is worst. “When the project was announced, I thought that the students at government schools will take a digital leap towards better education but there has been no progress yet,” he added.
BBMP partnered with two companies, Microsoft and Avant-Garde for the Roshni Project.
Ali Sait, CEO of Tech Avant-Garde, said “Unless BBMP works on the infrastructure of the schools, digitalization of education won’t work. They need to pass the tender for the project so that we can take it forward.” He further said that teachers are trained in digital teaching in five stages.
Srinivas Alavilli Engineer, Co-founder of Citizens for Bengaluru told The Softcopy, “It is shameful that even in 2019 we are still talking about basic infrastructure in government schools.” He pointed out that to provide quality digital education which the Roshni Project aims at, government needs to work on the infrastructure of the schools.
