KITE achieves new milestone in school education

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 29 (PTI)State run KITE on Fridayclaimed that Kerala has achieved another milestone ineducation by ensuring the digital version of classes for over43 lakh students ofPre-primary to Standard 12 classes duringthe COVID-19 pandemic period.

The Digital Classes, titled 'First Bell', commenced fromJune 1 2020 asan interim arrangement for regular classes andare telecast through the Government owned KITE VICTERSeducational channel, under KITE (Kerala Infrastructure andTechnology for Education).

''Now, in another milestone, the telecast of all digitalclasses for the 10thStandard was completed byJanuary 17 andthat of 12th standardwill be over by Saturday,'' an officialrelease here said.

As on date, KITE has developed and broadcast 6,200classvideos as part of the First Bell programme, which amounts toover 3,100 hours of educational content.

The focus area for each subject was published by theGeneralEducation Department, on the basis of which revisionclasses will be arrangedfrom January 31 onwards, it said.

''Initially we planned the First Bell programme for aperiod of two months only, but theCOVID-19 situation demandedthat it be extended throughout the academic year'', said KAnvar Sadath, CEO, KITE.

It was a daunting task to develop the digital classes forall standards, especially for Plus Two, in view of variouscombinations of subjects, he said.

''But we were able to devise an all-inclusive digitalclass model to provide classes to all students without thefear of losing the academic year, upto the satisfaction ofstudents and teachers,'' Anvar added.

Kerala has already announced public examinations forClass 10 and 12 students from March 17 onwards.

KITE has announced a revised schedule ofFirst Bellclassesfrom February 1 onwards.

An official release said the Covid-19 pandemic situationdemanded an innovation in educational methodology to ensurethat school academics start from June 1 2020 through whichclasses can be accessed by over 43 lakh students.

It was in this context that the government had decided tostart the First Bell Digital Classes.

The aim of the exercise, it said, was to ensure that allstudents who follow the state curriculum have access to theDigital Classes through VICTERS, irrespective of thegeographical or socio-economic backgrounds.

KITE is a State Government enterprise set up to foster,promote and implement modernisation of educationalinstitutions in Kerala, while KITE VICTERS channel is itseducational channel established since 2006 Earlier KITE had deployed over1.20 Lakh laptops and70,000 Projectors along with other ICT equipments to Stateschools through the Hi-Tech school project, which were alsomade use of for those students who are deprived of a CableConnection or Televisions at their homes.

Initially around 2.60 lakh students did not have accessto these classes due to lack of equipment, but multiple levelinterventions from NGOs and LSGs ensured that all of them cannow do so without any issues, the release said.