With the help of Tech Valley UK and Canada, Punjab education department is able to provide 200 schools in the province with Chromebooks. The agreement was signed by Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat, and its purpose is to enhance students’ and teachers’ digital learning and IT skills.
In addition to Chromebooks, Tech Valley will train 10,000 Punjabi instructors and students in IT thanks to support from Google for Education. This cooperation is an important step in achieving the objective of a “Digital Punjab.”
Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat underlined the importance of the deal by stating that it would allow students to study IT for their matriculation and intermediate studies in addition to traditional scientific and artistic courses. The province thinks that by providing students with the fundamental digital skills they will require in the future, this initiative will improve the quality of education in the province.
Mobile Digital School
In principle, it was decided to start a Digital School on Wheels initiative in Punjab. Paul Hutchings, the regional head, headed the delegation, and they decided to take part in this creative effort. In the upcoming weeks, Schools on Wheels will launch two pilot initiatives that allow students to log in with their Google IDs and learn. With the use of these Google IDs, educators and learners alike will have access to free education through the internet.
Improving Punjab’s Digital Education
The discussion covered topics such as the digital education ecosystem, smart classrooms, and potential collaboration opportunities in digital education projects. Both parties decided to ask Google for Education for technical assistance in gathering real data on children who are not enrolled in school. The Chief Minister was briefed by Provincial Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat, who highlighted that Google IDs will be used for student logins at Punjabi government institutions. Accredited university students will also be certified in artificial intelligence, antiviral, and other courses, which will help them find work around the world.
Cooperation and Upcoming Initiatives
The first autistic school in Punjab piqued the interest of the Google for Education delegation. Other topics discussed at the meeting included innovation and research in education. The Google team was informed by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif about Punjab’s IT efforts, which are designed to provide IT degrees in Punjab and facilitate youth employment in local and international markets. In addition, Paul Hutchings, Regional Head of Google for Education, expressed excitement about collaborating with the Punjabi government to make online learning more accessible in the state. He praised the efforts of Punjab’s Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and her staff to steer the educational sector toward innovation.
