In an attempt to adapt to changing times, the provincial government has planned to set up information technology (IT) laboratories in all government schools in the province.
According to a handout, this was said by Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education Muhammad Atif Khan at a presentation in the city on Monday. Also in attendance were Elementary Education Secretary Ali Raza Bhutta and Additional Secretary Qaiser Alam. “
In current times, education and IT are interlinked and the former sector is incomplete without IT,” the document quoted the education minister as saying. “Therefore, the PTI-led government has decided to set up IT labs in all government schools across the province.”
On the occasion, the minister was briefed on the salient features of the project. He constituted a committee under the chairmanship of additional secretary for education to finalise arrangements.
However, in some places schools have already started meeting technological needs. Earlier in September, an IT laboratory was inaugurated at a government school in Rajar, Charsadda. The laboratory was named after a victim of the Army Public School massacre.
Prior to these developments, The Express Tribune had learnt in August the K-P Elementary and Secondary Education department was planning to set up nearly 500 computer laboratories in high schools and higher secondary schools. The idea was given a boost by the success of 339 IT labs set up in schools during 2014-15, the department’s chief planning officer, Idrees Azam, told The Express Tribune.
However, Azam said once the laboratories are established they will be kept open after school hours so teachers and students of PhD and MPhil programmes can make use of it for their academic research and work.
Published in The Express Tribune,