The Hindu Business Line : To school, with Linux?

THE West Bengal Government is going all out to speed up its computer literacy programme for schools. A review committee is set to come up with suggestions in this regard soon.The programme is aimed at promoting computer literacy in more than 12,000 government-aided schools and institutions across the State.

Since quick progress is the goal, the content, the costs involved, as well as the delivery mechanism, are being seen as issues of prime importance. The review committee set up by the State Government, it is learnt, is open to the idea of adopting the BOOT (Build, Operate, Own, Transfer) concept and may go in for the Linux Terminal Server Project model for the literacy programme.To ensure faster implementation at the grassroot level, the BOOT method, with the active involvement of the private sector, is the favoured delivery mechanism.

The computer literacy project of the state education department has covered only 300 schools with NIIT, Wipro and IBM being the chosen implementation partners. The West Bengal State Electronics Industry Development Corporation is in charge of overall project management.

Although the project took off three years ago, it was felt that a review committee should look into its progress and make recommendations for faster penetration of computer literacy in schools across the State, especially in non-urban areas. The review committee, comprising people from academia, industry and the government, is expected to submit its proposals — including the draft syllabus and course content — to the State Government within the next few months.

The draft course content seeks to facilitate computer literacy in a "holistic manner.'' Says a functionary involved in the exercise: "We do not expect our students to become computer scientists or programmers. What we want is to ensure is that they become familiar with the use of computers and are computer-literate enough to be able to take the fullest advantage of technology in their day-to-day activities.''

An investment of Rs 6.5 lakh has been made in each school that has been covered under the programme towards computer infrastructure, including hardware and software. However, it is felt that the implementation of the project can be successful only if costs to the students are brought down, even if marginally. In fact, it has been noticed that there has been a 50 per cent drop-out rate in schools where students who were earlier used to free education were asked to pay as low a sum as Rs 50 per month for the computer literacy course.

As such, there is a strong feeling that the issue of sustainability of the programme can be adequately addressed by obtaining the courseware from an open source and ensuring that the syllabus is vendor-independent. Besides, implementation of the Linux's Thin Client concept — as is in vogue in some schools in Goa and Calicut and at the Nuclear Science Centre, Delhi — will ensure that as many as 100 terminals can share a single server. In fact, Linux is working on a Bengali font as well to expedite the progress of the computer literacy programme in schools in the rural areas.

"Private players will find the Thin Client concept attractive as it facilitates substantial reduction in costs and is relatively simple to maintain. They can charge as low as Rs 20 per month per student and focus on volumes to recover costs,'' say sources. Under the BOOT model, interested parties are entitled to a grant of Rs 1.5 lakh per project that they undertake. In fact, computer literacy programmes via the BOOT model will be taken up in 500 schools in the State in the next academic year.

ambar_singhroy@rediffmail.com

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