Buoyed by the success of the virtual classroom project in the first year, the BMC has decided to implement the project in over 400 municipal schools across the city in the next academic year. Moreover, the civic body for the first time, will be training the primary municipal students under this project.
“The virtual classroom project will be extended to 40 secondary and 360 primary civic schools from the next year,” said additional municipal commissioner M.M. Adtani, who is in-charge of the education department. Last year, 80 secondary schools were covered under this project.
The virtual classroom project involves interactive education via satellite. Well-known orators, educators, moderators and teachers of various subjects were invited to deliver lectures to municipal students through these studios.
“We are planning to invite more prominent teachers in the next year,” said a senior official from the education department.
The BMC had implemented the pilot project for virtual classroom in 24 civic schools and later, extended it to 56 schools. In the second year of the project, the BMC made a budgetary provision of `8 crore for 40 civic secondary schools and `20 crore for 360 primary civic schools.
Along with this, the civic body is also planning to inculcate awareness through virtual classroom about abeyance of civic rules, sanitation and hygiene among students. “Using virtual classroom concept to create awareness about civic sense is a good idea,” said BMC standing committee chairman Rahul Shewale. We have instructed the civic education department officials to prepare a plan regarding this.