http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=104257
INDIA: School edu dept to launch website Education department website provides information on more than 53,500 schools and services to the students, parents, teachers and administrators of those schools The Times of India Wednesday, February 4, 2009 By M. Ramya Chennai --- Pallikalvi.in, the website of the state school education department, is ready to be launched this month, senior officials said. And when it goes on the net, they claimed, there will be no need for RTIs to be filed to get information. "The website will answer most of the questions that members of the public, including students, teachers and parents, might have," said a senior official of the department. "It is a very ambitious project because we are trying to connect more than 53,500 schools, 4.5 lakh teachers, 1.4 crore students and 10 directorates. And we want to make everything transparent and accountable," said Thangam Thennarasu, school education minister. A peek into the website reveals exclusive services for students, parents, teachers and administrators, ranging from online school profiles to e-donations. Each of the 53,500 schools in the state, cutting across boards, will have a unique identity, which when logged onto will give exhaustive information about the educational institution. The website will also enable the user to compare the infrastructure and of a school with others in the parliamentary constituency or in other constituencies or in that block. "This will ensure accountability. So members of the public can question the school management or the local MLA about the use of funds to devlop schools," another official said. The department has also forged tie-ups with reputed non-governmental organisations so that an individual donating money towards a particular cause would know whether his money has been used for the purpose intended. The website also has a provision to find where the money is at any given point of time. But some of the information has been collected for administrative purposes and so can be accessed only by the school management or department officials. The website has other value additions such as details of higher education institutions in the state, educational loans being provided, school locators that will also give the shortest route to the school and examination timetable and results. "We are trying to integrate techniques used in different industries in various parts of the worls so the stakeholders can make informed decisions at every level," said an official. After the launch, the department plans to add various features to the website such as allotting a unique identity card to every student. The student's details will be updated by the school, including his list of achievments. The student's identity card is expected to work like a smart card, which when swiped will reveal his profile. This will make certification verification easier and quicker. Career counselling for higher secondary students, facilitation of educational loans through ties with nationalised banks, and e-learning on interactive mode are also on the cards. Revenue generated through advertisements posted by higher education institutions on the site is expected to sustain pallikalvi.in. Date Posted: 2/4/2009
