Whether anyone agrees or not, the YSR Congress party government in Andhra Pradesh has been doing a lot of good work in two major sectors – health and education, introducing new programmes and implementing them vigorously in these sectors.
The latest scheme being introduced by the Jagan government has been attracting the attention of experts and drawing their appreciation.
The scheme is about involving engineering students to train teachers and students in high schools in “future skills.”
A government order (GO No. 98) to this effect was issued by principal secretary (higher education) Praveen Prakash on Thursday. The scheme will come into implementation with effect from January 6.
The objective of this “future skills” concept is to empower high school students to compete globally, equipping them with balanced and matured thinking and knowledge in emerging and future technologies such as artificial intelligence, data management, machine learning and Data Analytics.
Besides the students would also be taught Large Language Models (LLM) tools such as Chat GPT, Web 3.0, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Internet of Things, Central Bank Digital Currency, Autonomous vehicles, 3D-Printing, Gaming, etc.
The resource persons for implementation of this scheme are students from the final year of B Tech and M Tech from computer science and electronics streams. They will train the students above Class 8 and also teachers of the high schools.
“They would also oversee the available digital infrastructure like tabs and smart TVs, streamline digital infrastructure management, enhance security and support teachers and students. Such resource persons are named as “future skills experts,” the GO said.
These future skill experts would teach digital technology related subjects as subject teachers as part of their internship programme during their final semester of B Tech and M Tech courses.
“They would also train the teachers in technology-led teaching' for teaching the students via digital assets in due course,” it said.
The engineering students will take up this task in their final semester as part of their internship. Each future skill expert would be paid remuneration of Rs 12,000 per month, besides transport allowance of Rs 2 per km for commuting from their college to the designated schools.
“The engineering colleges from where these experts are drawn are being mapped with 6,790 government high schools in the state, at the rate of one expert for three schools in job work mode,” the GO said.
The Jagan government has already introduced several reforms in the education sector, has already made English as the medium of instruction in 45,000 government schools with effect from 2019-20. Nearly 41 lakh students studying in various government schools are getting education in English medium.
Starting 2020-21, the state government introduced bilingual textbooks in the subjects of science, social sciences and mathematics subjects. The government has tied up with Byju’s for providing content in these subjects so as to make the students globally competitive, he said.
During the current academic year, under the flagship program of Nadu Nedu, the state government introduced digitization of the school infrastructure through 30,213 Interactive flat panels (IFPs) in high schools and 10,038 smart TVs in primary schools.
The government has also approved the proposal to enter into agreement with ETS (Education Testing Services) for providing the opportunity for improving the speaking of English and enhancing the TOEFL preparation for the examination of students studying in government schools,” the GO said.
