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| Sunday, 25 April 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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'Distance learning centres' for rural youth by Hiran H. Senewiratne The government plans to establish five computer and Video Conference (VC) based distance e-learning centres in selected rural areas on an experimental basis with the assistance of the World Bank, in the near future. The main objective of this project was to provide distance learning education for rural youth and students via electronically in a bid to build a knowledge base to uplift the rural economy, said head of the Arthur C. Clarke Centre (ACCC) Dr. Sathish Navasivayam. He said that five selected centres or locations would be inter-linked and connected to a main hub in Colombo. The Distance Learning Centre (DLC) established last year on the initiative of the President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, would be formed as the hub of this whole exercise. These centres would help the rural community to communicate with latest technology such as VC and multimedia, with the outside world, to bridge the knowledge gap in any selected field or subject. The locations for this proposed project are Jaffna, Oluvil, Hatton, Kilinochchi and Matara and the total investment for the project is estimated at US $ 12 million. Dr. Navasivayam said that the ACCC, the main facilitator, will be in charge of the whole project. According to Dr. Navasivayam, the ACCC would review the practical and functional aspects of the project for a period of one year and, based on its outcome and success, it would structure the whole scheme, to popularise it in a big way. Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), one of the related bodies for the project, would provide all equipment on par with other e-learning centres in the world, Project Manager, Shoban Rainford, said. These centres would provide opportunities for rural people to use the latest technology based on geographical and demographic variables, to allow participants to work together to address pressing issues that call for a common or international agenda required for policy response. The Distance Learning Centre (DLC) conducts IT courses for all ages, while offering IT and VC technology for both private and public sector institutions. "DLC was the only organisation, which conducts courses in two-way VC sessions, multimedia, print packages, interactive web communications or face-to-face tutorials, in addition to the global dialogue sessions allowing interaction between participants, from many different nations," said its CEO, Commander Russell Kerkoven. He said that DLC had considerably reduced bandwidth charges for VC from US $ 600 with the understanding of the foreign principal, and new rate was US $ 280 for overseas use and US $100 for local use. DLC is a partner of the Global Development Learning Network (GDLN), which provides decision-makers, regular and affordable interaction with peers and experts across the globe encouraging the exchange of ideas and experiences on a wider scale. Currently, DLC possessed the best VC centre in South Asia, which could accommodate more than 100 people at a time. At present, the number of small and medium size companies were using VC facilities, mainly to communicate with overseas stakeholders, Commander Kerkoven said. Using VC for overseas business matters would enable to cut down overseas travelling to a great extent, since this was a two-way live communication process. DLC had linked with 68 distance learning centres throughout the world, he said. |
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