Let's Connect For A Cause: Bridging Digital Divide

Computers are part of global business and education. So digital literacy has a direct effect on the country’s economy. India as a country is facing several challenges in the implementation of initiatives like Digital India. Moreover, digitally literate teachers appreciate the creative potential of technology rather than accepting it unwillingly as another training exercise mandated by the government. Digital literacy ensures that teachers use the digital tools that can unlock their deeper teaching potential and make learning exciting.

Many Municipal Schools in Mumbai have computer labs with working computers, but unfortunately, they do not have teachers who can impart necessary IT skills. Students and educators from the vernacular mediums also find it difficult to grasp the content as computers are programmed in English. To help the students and teachers of MCGM schools, 'The Computer Literacy Program' (CLP) was initiated by Citizens Association for Child Rights CACR in June 2013 with content partners IITB -The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay.

IIT had developed multi-lingual audio-video lessons called ‘Spoken tutorials’ which trained students to learn Libre Office suite- word, powerpoint and spreadsheet using easy to understand content. From 2013-14 to 2014-15 the CLP project saw a 100% increase in the number of schools covered and drastic improvement in the students' computer skills as conveyed by the former CLP project head, Dr Richa Singh. "The newly acquired skills will increase with employment opportunities and self-confidence" she added.

Our young minds engrossed in their Computers!

But in 2015 the teaching methodology of IIT Spoken tutorials underwent a change and required the computers in MCGM schools to be upgraded to a better Operating system (OS) and Antivirus. Since such major hardware changes were not possible to be implemented by the government's education department in a short period, the collaboration with IITB had to be called off until the hardware upgrade. Given the training momentum that was built in the last 2.5 years, CACR decided not to abandon the project but continued training students. Zinal Shah stepped in and continued the project for a year, teaching students basic IT skills using Microsoft Office.

The present project head Ar. Deyasini Choudhary tells me that volunteers provide one-on-one attention to each school student. A PowerPoint Presentation takes volunteers through each session so that they come prepared with the topic they will cover and with a proper understanding of how they should teach that subject. About 1250 children in 18 municipal schools have benefitted from CACR’s Computer Literacy Program. Team CACR is hoping numbers pick up substantially in the coming months.

The incredible progress CACR has made with the Computer Literacy Project.

CACR has even gone a step further to train the teachers, who must take over once CACR volunteers complete their program with the school students. The 'Train The Teacher' program, is in its second year now and the volunteers also called 'Master Trainers' have already trained 325 teachers and conducting Refresher Courses in various schools currently. The aim of the project is not to adopt the Municipal School or its responsibilities but offer support and training. More than 100 student volunteers have participated in the CACR's 'Train The Teacher' initiative. These 100+ volunteers can proudly say they have gone on to educate thousands of students and teachers of numerous municipal schools around our city.

Teachers engaged in the program.

CACR has successfully lobbied with the MCGM departments to ensure each of the 200 School buildings get its very own full-time computer teacher. This will be a first major development in the history of computer education in MCGM education department. CACR has been fostering Digital Literacy at the school level via these two programs that aid India's National Digital Literacy Mission, which is working towards a bridging our country’s digital divide.