All schools in India to have an IT teacher, says Sibal

NEW DELHI - All secondary schools in India will have a computer teacher each and the central government will bear the related expenses, Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal said Thursday.

“We have now a policy. All schools will have an ICT (Information and Communications Technology) teacher. We will pay their salary, which is Rs.10,000 per month,” Sibal said to highlight the need for technology to better educational scenario in the country.

“We are open to any technology solution (provided by private sectors) but it should not be elitist. The real problem is in rural India and we must keep that in mind. I think, the private sector can collaborate with government and train these ICT teachers,” he said.

“Our focus is on giving every child an opportunity.”

Sibal also said that all states should chip in to improve education and make right to education a success.

“It is not about politics, it is about education… it’s about every single child. We need a system in place for quality education and quality teachers.”

The minister also said that India will be most educated country in the world by 2030 and it will be the key to provide intellectual capital to all countries.

“India in 2030 will be most educated in the world. The world must realize that future human capital will flow from India. They should make our population literate and take the benefit,” Sibal said in an event organized by computer giant HP and TV channel CNBC.

He also reiterated his point that his ministry is in touch with Nandan Nilekani, the chief of Unique Identity Authority for an UID for every single student.

“Nandan has told me that he will work with us.”

Sibal also stressed the need for an education finance corporation, which will help refinancing education with a long-term goal and provide education loans to all needy students.