NET News Desk
A one-day training on virtual classes and digital education initiated by the District Administration, West, and funded by NITI AAYOG and REC Foundation was conducted at Zilla Bhavan, conference hall on Monday, with an aim to introduce digital education is to keep the classroom connected to today’s world and yet retain the human touch.
It enables educational institutions to harness the power of technology to create virtual classrooms and make interactive and collaborative experiences available to remote learners.
The training had the presence of District Collector cum Chairperson(NITI AAYOG), Karma R. Bonpo accompanied by K. C Gyatsho, Addl. Director, West and trainees from different schools.
Enlightening the gathering, Shri. Bonpo deliberated on the significance of virtual learning facilities in this pandemic situation which has affected the education sector of the state adversely. He expressed that ongoing COVID – 19 pandemic has made the people realize the importance of virtual educational facilities.
He informed that all the educational institutions from primary to higher secondary schools of West Sikkim would be included in Digital educational programme in phase wise basis and added that internet service facilities would be availed free of cost. The higher secondary and secondary level schools of West Sikkim will be included in the first and second phase of the programme.
DC further shared that west district administration has a plan to set up a digital studio very soon at district administrative centre and the studio will be helpful to broadcast educational content for the students following various streams of education.
He stressed for proactive roles the schools’ heads and teachers have to play to ensure greater leverage of the technological facilities available in the world today. The also DC maintained that digital system of learning would be of great help to the students as they would have the option to revisit the portal system if they missed the online classes, educational content downloading facilities, video conference facilities with teachers and others.
He further shared that it was because of the state government’s commitment towards the education sector, the virtual way of educational facilities are being introduced in the state. DC maintained that introduction of the digital way of education in the west district is still in the experimental stage and more knowledge and experience will be gained in other stages for implementation of the programme.
The resource person, Peli Hangma Subba sensitized the representatives present in the programme on the effective use of technology and operational methods regarding devices provided to various schools with an objective of accessing the virtual learning system. She further informed that an online application named ‘Dooth’ which the state education department has decided to utilize for digital education will enhance the online teaching facility saying that the proposed application has more features to enable the online system of learning with ease. Tashi Chewang another resource person in brief highlighted on the new technology and enlightened on various facilities to enable the online learning system either through live video streaming, facilities for video conference, recording and sharing facilities.
As per the information, the devices access to online learning facilities have been installed at seventeen Senior secondary schools of West Sikkim and the teaching faculties of the schools included in the first phase of digital programme have been given basic information on utilization of available technology. Secondary and primary level schools will also be included under the initiative respectively.
