400 e-schools in the offing

by Shirajiv SIRIMANE

Two e-schools were opened in Hambantota for the first time to provide Information Communication Technology (ICT) to rural schoolchildren.

Hambantota Suchi National School and Lunugamvehera Central College were each provided with a computer, projector and a Mobitel 3G connection so that the schools would have access to the Internet. The events were successfully completed with an online presentation by Moratuwa University Lecturer of Communication, Christy Alwis.

Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Agency Chairman Asanga Abeygoonawardane said that their agency joined this project as part of its CSR initiative. "This program will open a new pathway for distance learning as many schools will be connected to the Internet," he said.

The two e-schools were opened by MP Namal Rajapaksa who pledged to carry on this program in other rural areas including the North and the East.

Through this novel program, children in remote schools would get the opportunity to access the global web, thus gaining global knowledge.

Sri Lanka's current IT literacy rate is 24 percent and the Government hopes to increase this to 75 percent by 2015. Nena Sela and e-Sri Lanka are already conducting ICT programs to increase IT penetration.

Abeygoonawardane said that under the project roll-out plan, 400 e-schools covering the entire island are to be created.

Hauwei Technology Company Limited has provided 400 projectors for the project while Environment Resources Investment Company, CSCT Campus, Enterprise Technology Private Limited and several other companies would shoulder the financial burden of this project.

The e-Sri Lanka PC Program is aimed at increasing Sri Lanka's currently low IT literacy, by enabling access to ICT. This program seeks to 'bridge the digital divide'.

The Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka is the single apex body involved in ICT policy and direction for the nation.