6,140 ZP teachers to receive tabs to digitise education in state

Mumbai: As part of digitalisation of the teaching and learning process in the state, around 2,46,000 government school teachers will receive tablet computers, preloaded with educational materials. This will be done in two phases. In the first phase, 6,140 teachers will get the tablets this year across 34 different ZP-run schools. The second phase would include 97,000 teachers who will get tabs in the academic year 2023–2024.

The teachers will also receive instructions on how to use the tablets, which will be preloaded with educational material.

The Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) has created an initiative called the Teachers Resource Package (TRP) with the goal of assisting teachers in creating a successful digital classroom. The project will not only provide the devices, but it will also train instructors on how to use technology in the classroom successfully.

Kailas Pagare, state project director for SSA, said, “The tablets are anticipated to give teachers the necessary technological assistance to improve learning. This will make it feasible to perform tasks like tracking attendance, planning lessons, making presentations, and finding more content online, among other things. Additionally, SSA intends to produce academic content that may be placed on these devices for teachers to use on a class-by-class basis.”

But taking into account the constantly changing curricula, he continued, “We also want to develop a system wherein new, improved academic information can be made available for instructors on a portal from which they will be able to download it on their tablets.”

There are a total of 2,46,000 teachers in government schools. This comprises Zilla Parishad and municipal corporation-run schools. “The goal is to finish this initiative’s execution in three years. While a total of 6,140 tablets will be delivered this year in the first phase to 34 different ZP-run schools. The second phase, which would include 97,000 teachers, will start during the academic year 2023–2024. The second phase’s proposal is awaiting clearance,” he added.

This is a project under the new National Education Policy (NEP) of the union government, which would provide 60% of the money, as Pagare said. “While the government intends to provide educational content with the tablets, educators from expert will train instructors on how to use the technology effectively,” he said.