Tamil Nadu government and aided school heads have been directed to upload details of computers, monitors, UPS units and other hi-tech lab equipment, along with deficiencies and estimated budgets, by October 12. The exercise is intended to help the school education department plan repairs, allocate funds and determine support from a new implementing agency.
The information must be submitted through the state-run Education Management Information System portal. Chief and district education officers have been asked to review the lists and coordinate with school heads on deploying the required systems.
An official from the chief education officer’s office said the department had not yet decided how much equipment would be provided to individual schools. “The first step is to identify deficiencies,” the official said, according to the Times of India.
The department’s move follows problems reported in the maintenance and operation of hi-tech laboratories across government schools. The labs were used to provide the Mozhigal spoken English programme for students in Classes VI to X, but the programme had become defunct in several schools, according to an earlier report published by the Times of India on October 4.
The reported disruptions followed the end of an L&T contract in May last year. School heads had cited poor internet connectivity and shortages of working computers, mouse devices and UPS units. These gaps affected the ability of schools to access digital lessons and operate the laboratories reliably.
The latest directive requires schools to provide an equipment-wise assessment rather than a general statement of need. Headmasters must list existing computers and other devices, identify what is unusable or missing, and include the monitors, UPS units and accessories required for the labs. They must also provide estimated costs for the requirements.
Officials said the education department was likely to appoint a new agency to support the laboratories. A few middle schools had reportedly been assigned to Keltron last year, but the arrangement did not cover all schools.
An official from the elementary education office said the department would set aside a budget after receiving the school-level information and would then work to improve the labs. The official said the submitted lists would help determine the scale of equipment replacement and support needed across the schools.
The process places the immediate responsibility for documenting the infrastructure shortfall on school heads, while chief and district education officers are expected to verify the submissions and coordinate subsequent deployment. The October 12 deadline is the next stated milestone in the department’s effort to assess and restore the affected hi-tech laboratories.
