Why in news:

• The Haryana government has unveiled its strategy to introduce smart classrooms in an additional 1,000 government primary schools for the upcoming 2024-25 academic year under the Sampark programme.

Key Points:

• This initiative was announced by Chief Secretary, Government of Haryana, T V S N Prasad during a meeting with state deputy commissioners.

Current status and goals

• Currently, more than 6,600 primary schools in Haryana already benefit from smart classrooms. The expansion aims to further embed innovative educational technologies into the state's primary education system.

• Chief Secretary, in a virtual meeting, expressed strong support for the initiative, highlighting Haryana's commitment to enhancing foundational learning through modern educational tools.
• The state government has further emphasized that the introduction of smart classrooms represents a significant leap forward in providing an enhanced educational experience for students.

Collaboration with Sampark Foundation

• The Sampark Foundation, a leading NGO dedicated to improving primary education outcomes, collaborates closely with the Haryana government.
• Dr K Rajeswara Rao, President of the Sampark Foundation, emphasized the organization's extensive reach across 1.25 lakh government schools in eight states, including Haryana.
• Notably, the Foundation works alongside the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) to integrate its innovative Sampark Smart Shala pedagogy into Haryana's educational framework.

Monitoring and evaluation

• In order to ensure the effective implementation of the Sampark programme, district-level dashboards have been established by the state government.
• These dashboards enable district education officers and block education officers to monitor progress closely and assess the impact of smart classrooms on educational outcomes across Haryana.

The expansion of smart classrooms in Haryana's government primary schools through the Sampark programme underscores the state's commitment to leveraging technology for enhancing educational quality and outcomes.

With collaborative efforts between the government and organizations like the Sampark Foundation, Haryana aims to create a more inclusive and technologically advanced educational environment for its primary school students.