
Centre to Focus on Online Education
News:
- Centre has proposed long-term measures to bridge the divide of social inequity in online education that is coming to the fore due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
More in the news:
- Government has plans to distribute laptops or tablets to 40% of all college and university students over the next five years.
- The Centre and States are to share the cost of making devices available, in a 60:40 ratio
- It also plans to equip all government schools with information and communication technology (ICT).
Safety Measures for Schools:
- The School Education Department estimated upto ₹1 lakh per school for sanitisation and quarantine measures in preparation for the safe reopening of schools.
- The measures would include:
(1) Ensuring basic water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities
(2) Safe drinking water
(3) Availability of alcohol rub/sanitiser
(4) Disinfectant, cleaning material and equipment for temperature checking.
Awareness Programs:
- In order for government schools to be reopened, funds will also be provided for awareness and community mobilisation.
- It will be done to sensitise parents, students and local leaders.
- Teacher would be encouraged to function as first-level counsellors, disseminate basic information about COVID-19 and provide digital/online/mobile education.