Computer labs provided to 226 rural schools

Islamabad: Around 226 computers Labs with allied facilities in educational institutions for girls especially in rural area of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) are being established.

The labs are being established under present government’s initiative called Prime Minister Education Reforms Programme which was launched to focus on improving the standard of educational institutions in Islamabad.

In collaboration with Microsoft, teachers are primarily trained on Super Skills for 21st century in addition to the technical domains i.e. cloud computing, web designing, coding, Introduction to databases, basic computer programming, basics of software design and development, ministry official told this agency.

Some 202 teachers have also been placed at these institutions which would help over 110,000 girl students “Computer Literate” studying in Islamabad’s schools and bringing them at par with students elsewhere in the world.

Ministry of IT & Telecom through the Universal Services Fund (USF) recently signed an MoU with Huawei at the Mobile World Congress 2018 in Barcelona, Spain under which they would cooperate in spheres of program designing, training and sharing successful experiences in regard with broadband services, vertical public services and intelligent digital platforms.

It would help develop National ICT services execution strategy, support Joint Innovation centre (JIC) for empowering women who are benefiting from the USF ICT for Girls programme, he added.

Official sources at Capital Administration and Development Division while listing steps being taken, last Thursday said these labs would provide equitable opportunities to excel and spread benefits of telecom revolution to rural area students in ICT.

In first phase, USF, a subsidiary of Ministry of Information Technology would establish 107 Computer Labs in rural areas'' educational institutions (primary level) with allied facilities and teaching faculty.

The sources said tentatively these labs shall be available from beginning new academic session. Every effort is being made by Federal Directorate of Education (FDE), Islamabad to impart quality education to children of ICT including schools situated in rural areas.

Regarding FDE''s steps taken so far, the sources said Islamabad Capital Territory has been divided into six administrative sectors and an officer equivalent to BS-19 heads each administrative area.