E-learning tabs for students in schools by next year: Aditya Thackeray

MUMBAI: Stressing that Shiv Sena has kept its poll promise of reducing the weight of school bags, party's Youth Sena President Aditya Thackeray today said e-learning tabs will be made available to class VIII students in all civic-run schools by next year.

The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) has also floated tenders for providing e-learning tabs to students, Thackeray told reporters at Vidhan Bhavan after presenting an educational tab to Education Minister Vinod Tawde at his Vidhan Bhavan office.

"Recently students of an entire class at Balmohan Vidyamandir in Dadar were presented with educational tabs and were thus relieved of the burden of their school bags.

"The educational tab for standards VIII to X will contain the entire syllabus and will be complete with maps, info graphics, revision tests, interactive and will be available in all the languages that are taught in MCGM schools," he said.

A committee set up by the government to look into the issue of reducing weight of the school bags is positive on providing tabs and the committee members met Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray recently, he said.

The tabs will also be later distributed to students of Zilla Parishad and other civic bodies in rural Maharashtra, once the government approves it, he said.

Commenting on the frequent load-shedding in rural Maharashtra, he said the tabs will be provided with solar-powered charger.

"Modalities are being worked out as to how to provide these e-learning tabs through MLA funds or MPLAD funds. Ever since the Sena has started virtual classrooms in some MCGM run schools, SSC results are now touching 90 per cent," he claimed.

Welcoming Aditya's initiative, Tawde said that such novel visual teaching methods register well on the minds of young students.

He assured Thackeray that the government will make a policy statement on the issue in the ongoing monsoon session of the state Legislature.

The government too is in favour of reducing the burden of textbooks and school bags of students, Tawde added.