Smart classes of U.P.: Hardoi, Kasganj take lead, Ballia at bottom

Hardoi, Kasganj and Bareilly districts are leading in educating students through smart classes in government-run primary and upper primary schools as well as Kasturba Gandhi residential schools of Uttar Pradesh, reveals the latest data available with the state basic education department.

The worst performing district in this regard is Ballia where these hi-tech teaching facilities have been provided in only nine schools out of the total 2,247 schools as on December 18, 2023, the records show.

Under the Integrated Scheme for School Education, basic education officers were instructed to set up smart classes in schools through corporate social responsibility fund, under Smart City initiative and other means.

Studies are being conducted in smart classes in more than 300 schools each in 10 districts, according to the updated information from the districts made available on the designated government portal.

Out of 3,459 schools in Hardoi, smart classes have been set up in maximum 857 schools. Likewise, Kasganj has smart classrooms in 803 out of 1265 schools. Bareilly has smart classrooms in 600 out of 2,496 schools. Bijnor has smart classes in 538 out of 2,137 schools even as Bulandshahr has smart classes in 371 out of 1,883 schools. Shravasti has smart classes in 352 out of 984 schools. Similarly, Chitrakoot has smart classes in 320 out of 1,262 schools even as Varanasi has smart classes in 315 out of 1,153 schools.

State-of-the-art smart class facilities are available in 309 out of 2,268 schools in Siddharthnagar and 303 out of 2,073 schools in Sonbhadra.

There are 18 districts with 50 to 100 smart classes (till December 18, 2023). The list includes Kanpur Nagar with 96 smart classes out of 1711 schools, Lakhimpur Kheri and Balarampur have smart classrooms in 93 schools each out of their total 3,114 and 1,818 schools respectively. Amethi has smart classes in 80 schools out of 1,585 schools, Mathura in 61 out of 2716 schools and Meerut in 54 schools out of 1,080 schools.

Director general (School Education) Kanchan Verma has instructed all basic shiksha adhikaris (BSAs) to update the information regarding setting up of smart classes in their respective districts on the designated portal by January 20.

BSA-Prayagraj Praveen Kumar Tiwari confirmed this and said smart classes have been set up in schools under CSR, district mineral fund and personal efforts of teachers. Only information about smart classes being held in 213 schools of Prayagraj is uploaded on the portal whereas this number actually is around 275. It is being updated, he assured.