In a bid to reduce the learning gap and provide greater access to digital education, the state government of Andhra Pradesh has proposed a programme to distribute tabs preloaded with BYJU'S premium content free of cost to all Class VIII students studying in government schools from December 22 to 28.
The programme will be launched by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on December 21. After the launch, the government will distribute 5.18 lakh tabs to students at 676 delivery points in Mandal headquarters. All District Collectors in the state were directed to prepare segment-wise distribution plans after consulting local Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from December 21 to 28. These plans are to be submitted to the Commissioner of School Education, reported The New Indian Express. The project is being executed at a cost of Rs 666 crore, with each tab costing Rs 13, 268. The tabs come equipped with an SD card, a cover and an OTG cable.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Principal Secretary Praveen Prakash said that the government's aim with this project is to make AP's students "globally competitive." The use of digital devices and content through a form of blended learning is being proposed to not only address the learning gap but also provide class-specific learning outcomes.
In March, at a review meeting on the implementation of decisions taken under the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 at his camp office, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had hinted at a plan to introduce schemes to support digital learning for Class VIII students in government schools in the state. Jagan directed the officials concerned to focus on the Learning to Learn concept and said there should be a teacher training centre (TTC) in all the 26 newly-carved districts, reported TNIE. The facilities in existing TTCs should be improved under the Nadu-Nedu scheme, the CM added.
