Shillong, Jan 14: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has handed over M-Tab learning devices to students of West Garo Hills along with Speaker Thomas A Sangma at a programme held in District Auditorium, Tura.
The M-Tab is an initiative of the Chief Minister’s Student Digital Learning Scheme, which aims to promote e-Education in the state. The tablet is loaded with comprehensive contents related to Higher Secondary level examination for all streams, including contents, mock question papers, past question and solved answer papers for various competitive examinations. It also has high quality audio-video, animation and 3D graphic contents.
Speaking at the programme, the chief minister said, “The hand held device is not just a gadget. It is a tool to empower our youth. We want to ensure that our youth get access to learning and are better equipped to face different examinations.”
“This programme is to let you know that we care about you, to let you know that we trust you,” the chief minister asserted, while stating that technology is changing every aspect lives.
“This government believes that in whatever way possible we must strengthen the use of technology to ensure that we can make the learning more impactful, the learning more meaningful, the learning more exciting and enjoyable,” the chief minister said.
He said that digital learning through audio-video and pictorial content, makes learning more easier and simpler. “We strongly feel that more and more use of technology at the grassroot level… smart classrooms, digital learning will aid our students… but remember, technology is only an enabler. It can only enable you to learn in an easier way,” he said.
He also informed that the government has accorded priority to develop IT related sector in the state, including setting up of IT parks in Shillong and Tura and laying of optical fibres.
“We hope that these projects will be completed in the next two years. We are hopeful that every school will be getting access to the optical fibers. It will take time, but the process has started,” the chief minister said.
He also informed that the existing IT park in Shillong is catering to clients from US and Europe. “Our boys and girls from Meghalaya are working for AI companies. They are providing AI companies in US, Europe with solutions that predict crop disease, predict rain, growth of the plant, requirement of water, etc. All this is being done from Meghalaya, this is the kind of transformation that is taking place,” he added.
Around 1 lakh tablets have been distributed from 2021 to class XI students. In 2023-24 academic session, 30,480 students as per the Directorate of School Education and Literacy have received the benefit of the scheme.
In West Garo Hills district, around 3000 M-Tabs were distributed. Over 400 plus students from 21 different higher secondary schools received the tablets.
Close to 5,700 teachers from different higher secondary schools in the state will receive the tablets, which will facilitate e-learning and assessments.
The Vidya Samiksha Kendra, a learning management App designed by the state department of Information and Technology, is aimed at monitoring learning outcomes and it is also helping the teachers to monitor and assess the outcomes of the students.
