Digital learning goes for a toss in Rayagada schools

Rayagada: The Odisha government’s plan to provide digital learning to students through Information and Communications Technology (ICT) laboratories in schools in this district has flopped, sources said Monday. Lack of supervision by the government and improper implementation has virtually pushed the project into extinction despite expenditure worth Rs 13. 64 crore.

In the process students hoping to derive benefits of digital learning are getting deprived. ICT labs lying defunct in schools like GCD High School (HS) and GBM High School in this town, Kashipur HS, Jagadamba HS, Chandrapur Girls’ HS, Kailashpur HS, Kereda HS and Penikana High Schools in other parts of the district are perfect examples of how money has gone to waste. Schools where computer labs have been set up are lying locked up now with majority of the computers found in dustbins.

Locals smelled a rat in the in the implementation of the project. Alleging large-scale irregularities in the programme, they have demanded a high-level probe. Sources said that in a bid to provide computer-aided learning to students, the state government launched the ICT project in 4,000 schools under e-Vidyalaya scheme.

Accordingly, the government sanctioned Rs 22 lakh to each school. The Odisha Knowledge Corporation Limited (OKCL), tasked to implement the project, divided the schools into six zones and assigned various firms to implement the project. However, the project failed to yield success as the Odisha government abruptly sacked coordinators who were appointed to impart computer training to teachers and students.

Sources said, 62 schools in Rayagada district were selected for the project. Among them seven schools were in Rayagada block, four in Rayagada town, six in Bissam Cuttack block, three in Chandrapur block, two in Gudari town, six in Gunupur block, three in Gunupur town, seven in Kalyansighpur block, four in Kashipur block, three in Muniguda block, seven in Kolnara block, four in Padmapur block and six in Ramnaguda block. Two servers, 10 computers, 10 N-computing devices, one K-Yan projector, one smart board, one printer, 10 headphones, one webcam and one speaker were set up in each of these schools.

Over 10,000 students in these schools started learning how to use computers after launch of the project. A coordinator was appointed in each school to teach Mathematics, Science and English mainly to students of Class-IX and Class-X through computers. However, the project ran out of steam after eight years.

Digital learning for students now is a thing of the past. Observers alleged that large sums of funds have been misappropriated by installing old machines while submitting bills for new computers under the school transformation programme. Money was allegedly siphoned off in the name of setting up of new labs.

The UPS machines have become defunct. Sources also alleged that the silent generator sets bought for the project have also gone missing. They said some of these machines have found a way to the homes of officials of the Education and Social Welfare departments while in some cases they have been sold off for a quick buck.

When contacted some headmasters said that the labs are lying closed after the dismissals of coordinators while the computers are being used for school work.  .