It is unfortunate that the computers have received an excessive amount of credit for the IT revolution. The keyword in the revolution is INFORMATION. Technology has enabled us to create, distribute and use information in radically different ways. It is changing the way societies, organisations and individuals operate or need to operate. The rules of games are being altered the same way the industrial revolution changed them, except that the changes are less tangible. It is a popular misconception that somehow the revolution is related to technology industry. The industries fearing the new age the maximum are the entertainment industries!

The challenge before us is that how do we educate our young people to become exposed to and learn about the new world so that they can make the maximum use of it. This is the need in every field and not just computers.

Goa is a small compact state. It is possible to network (connect) all educational institutions in Goa at a very reasonable cost. While some of the benefits may be clear and obvious, it is my conviction that our teachers and students will find uses of the new environment which few have visualised.

A Proposed Network

The hub or the centre of the network should obviously be the Goa University. Each college should be connected to the university. Each school (possibly only the higher secondary schools in the beginning) should be connected to the nearest college. It is not desirable that each school have an independent connection to the Internet. Currently, the cost of such an option will be greater. But even more importantly, by creating an internal network and connecting the network to the Internet, we present a coherent picture of education system of Goa. It creates a better awareness of the contributions originating from Goa. (It can even be viewed as an exercise in branding should Goa decide to become a centre of learning for students from other states and the rest of the world.)

University should have a link to the Internet which is shared by all educational institutions. The central hub can also be also implement security policies so that the network is used the desired purposes and access to undesirable sites for our young people is prevented at a single point.

Each of the links between colleges and the University should be a leased line of 2MBPS. Our recommendation is that the schools and colleges also be connected at the same speed; however, lower speed options can be considered if money is a constraint.

The cost of such a network is divided into two parts - an initial cost for the networking equipment and a recurring cost for the rental of the leased lines and the Internet charges. The networking equipment has fallen in prices and it will probably cost less than 2 lacs per school/college for the hardware. The leased lines have also become very reasonably priced. The hardware vendors can help optimise the network and minimise the cost of implementation.

Funding and Installation

If the total cost of the network is taken, it may seem a substantial sum of money. However, the money can be spent in phases and it can even be raised from different sources. The following is an illustration of the possibilities.

Let us first look at the hardware needs. This is a one time investment for 3 years. The central hub and the rural schools will need to be funded by the state. The colleges and urban schools should be encouraged to raise funds. Since the sum involved is not very large per institution, local businesses and charitable organisations should come forward to fund it. Each institution can join the network as and when it is able to raise the resources. It may be enough for the government to fund the university, one rural college and one rural school in the neighbourhood of the college to prove the concept.

The recurring expenditure should be covered by students. This cost can be as low as about Rs. 60,000 per year. If a school has even 500 students, the cost per student can be as low as Rs. 10 per month about the cost of one soft drink or an ice cream. A poor university in South Africa gives a certain amount of free Internet access time to each student. The university was now planning to improve its infrastructure by allowing students to buy additional time at a very reasonable cost and use that money to expand the Internet connectivity.

An Illustrative Advantage for Parents worried about Exams

Nirmala Institute is making past exam papers with reference solutions available on the Internet for anyone. The trouble is that accessing the Internet is expensive as many parents have discovered to their dismay upon receiving the telephone bill after getting an Internet connection. Besides, this information is still available to only to those children who have access to Internet. The availability of such information without joining tutorial classes will be a major boon to many parents. This is an illustration of community created information very useful to the community. Chances are that once such an infrastructure is available, teachers will be inclined to put their class notes on the network rather than having their students make photocopies. The teacher actually saves effort but the student community (and the teachers) across the state benefit. I personally have downloaded the lecture notes of a software engineering course of MIT, USA and found it very useful. This is part of a 5 year project of MIT where the course material of each course taught at MIT will be available to public at large.

The Net Result

Such a network would break down barriers for a student who wants to learn - no matter what his socio-economic background. If may not solve the problem of educating the disadvantaged, but it is my conviction that it is a crucial step in the direction of creating an egalitarian society.

It is unfortunate that the computers have received an excessive amount of credit for the IT revolution. The keyword in the revolution is INFORMATION. Technology has enabled us to create, distribute and use information in radically different ways. It is changing the way societies, organisations and individuals operate or need to operate. The rules of games are being altered the same way the industrial revolution changed them, except that the changes are less tangible. It is a popular misconception that somehow the revolution is related to technology industry. The industries fearing the new age the maximum are the entertainment industries!

The challenge before us is that how do we educate our young people to become exposed to and learn about the new world so that they can make the maximum use of it. This is the need in every field and not just computers.

Goa is a small compact state. It is possible to network (connect) all educational institutions in Goa at a very reasonable cost. While some of the benefits may be clear and obvious, it is my conviction that our teachers and students will find uses of the new environment which few have visualised.

A Proposed Network

The hub or the centre of the network should obviously be the Goa University. Each college should be connected to the university. Each school (possibly only the higher secondary schools in the beginning) should be connected to the nearest college. It is not desirable that each school have an independent connection to the Internet. Currently, the cost of such an option will be greater. But even more importantly, by creating an internal network and connecting the network to the Internet, we present a coherent picture of education system of Goa. It creates a better awareness of the contributions originating from Goa. (It can even be viewed as an exercise in branding should Goa decide to become a centre of learning for students from other states and the rest of the world.)

University should have a link to the Internet which is shared by all educational institutions. The central hub can also be also implement security policies so that the network is used the desired purposes and access to undesirable sites for our young people is prevented at a single point.

Each of the links between colleges and the University should be a leased line of 2MBPS. Our recommendation is that the schools and colleges also be connected at the same speed; however, lower speed options can be considered if money is a constraint.

The cost of such a network is divided into two parts - an initial cost for the networking equipment and a recurring cost for the rental of the leased lines and the Internet charges. The networking equipment has fallen in prices and it will probably cost less than 2 lacs per school/college for the hardware. The leased lines have also become very reasonably priced. The hardware vendors can help optimise the network and minimise the cost of implementation.

Funding and Installation

If the total cost of the network is taken, it may seem a substantial sum of money. However, the money can be spent in phases and it can even be raised from different sources. The following is an illustration of the possibilities.

Let us first look at the hardware needs. This is a one time investment for 3 years. The central hub and the rural schools will need to be funded by the state. The colleges and urban schools should be encouraged to raise funds. Since the sum involved is not very large per institution, local businesses and charitable organisations should come forward to fund it. Each institution can join the network as and when it is able to raise the resources. It may be enough for the government to fund the university, one rural college and one rural school in the neighbourhood of the college to prove the concept.

The recurring expenditure should be covered by students. This cost can be as low as about Rs. 60,000 per year. If a school has even 500 students, the cost per student can be as low as Rs. 10 per month about the cost of one soft drink or an ice cream. A poor university in South Africa gives a certain amount of free Internet access time to each student. The university was now planning to improve its infrastructure by allowing students to buy additional time at a very reasonable cost and use that money to expand the Internet connectivity.

An Illustrative Advantage for Parents worried about Exams

Nirmala Institute is making past exam papers with reference solutions available on the Internet for anyone. The trouble is that accessing the Internet is expensive as many parents have discovered to their dismay upon receiving the telephone bill after getting an Internet connection. Besides, this information is still available to only to those children who have access to Internet. The availability of such information without joining tutorial classes will be a major boon to many parents. This is an illustration of community created information very useful to the community. Chances are that once such an infrastructure is available, teachers will be inclined to put their class notes on the network rather than having their students make photocopies. The teacher actually saves effort but the student community (and the teachers) across the state benefit. I personally have downloaded the lecture notes of a software engineering course of MIT, USA and found it very useful. This is part of a 5 year project of MIT where the course material of each course taught at MIT will be available to public at large.

The Net Result

Such a network would break down barriers for a student who wants to learn - no matter what his socio-economic background. If may not solve the problem of educating the disadvantaged, but it is my conviction that it is a crucial step in the direction of creating an egalitarian society.