'Broadband needs to reach to the classrooms'

In the run-up to the election results due later this week, we would be featuring experts from the telecom industry, or those associated with it, talking about what needs to be done to lift the sector out of the doldrums and ways to expand the reach of the technology for a vast majority of the populace still untouched by the revolution. Below is the first write-up by Amir Abidi, Founder Director, Tarraqi I Foundation.

 In this information age after the penetration of TV, cable, mobile phones affecting the way people, especially youth and children, are learning outside the classroom more than inside especially in the rural/backward areas where the regular structures for learning, i.e., effective, trained or at least a teacher present and teaching are crumbling; the advent of internet, specifically broadband, has the potential to make a tectonic shift to the education paradigm in our huge and diverse country. This will/is providing a variety of cost effective tools, applications, services and so called ‘hybrid' approaches to teaching and learning. Technology can never be the alternative to the human connect in education (whether one calls her a teacher/facilitator/mentor) as learning is organic and often is created in a dynamic ways where no two sessions between learner/s and facilitator's can be alike. However, internet and broadband has given an unprecedented access to qualitative and relevant content at a fraction of a price which till now was inaccessible to most potential learners. It can be used to engage students sparking their curiosity in myriad ways, improve learning outcomes; learning at ones desired pace collaboratively or individually; encourage knowledge sharing and collaboration between various stakeholders; and make education administration more efficient and cost effective.

However, all this will have a macro impact only when there is a proactive integration of broadband and educational technologies within the classroom and outside. Most educators are hesitant if not totally incapable of integrating these in their lesson planning and delivery and are still unexposed to using technology in education. There can't be a magic mantra where broadband/internet will be the panacea. It will have to be encouraged, tried, understood, and appreciated by the users who will be then inclined/motivated to use it innovatively themselves in ways relevant and useful to their students. All stakeholders- Students, Teachers Educators, Administrators and Parents still have many barriers to effectively utilize broadband for educational purposes.

Government should give subsidized rates if not free internet connectivity to schools and more so to colleges. Currently BSNL gives some discounts to Government employees for internet/broadband. I strongly recommend that in government schoold as well as in government-aided ones and in all colleges, broadband & wi fi should be made available free of cost for in school/campus use. I reckon that is already happening in the Rajasthan University. There should be subsidized plans for students who want to take personal broadband. Tablets and laptops should be subsidized for economically disadvantaged students making it easy for them to procure it.

4G is expected in urban areas & thereby rural areas soon. Educationists and relevant stakeholders must start advocating that when the Govt. sells spectrum then it must put a condition on private operators to give subsidies to schools, colleges, students and researcher scholars.

Govt. should collaborate with international institutions using Internet and broadband innovatively and successfully for education delivery and must promote it through the various departments/educational bodies like UGC/NCERT/NIEPA etc. besides popularising it through media. How many teachers in urban public schools let alone those in rural areas or parents know Salman Khan of ‘www.khanacademy.org' one of the most innovative and popular educational website today while every village kid aspires to be the ‘Dabangg' Salman Khan.

Additionally, the educational NGO's and other stakeholders especially the relevant IT companies need to forge greater synergy to integrate and develop new technologies so as to truly disrupt the education paradigm which in the 66th year of our freedom is still enslaved to the teaching/learning ‘chalk and talk' teacher centric/rote learning processes of the colonial times.