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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Jan. 9

As part of the total computer literacy programme in the State, the Kerala Government is set to launch an information technology study project in all the high schools.

Styled "IT@school'', the project would be introduced in the Eighth standard in 2002-03 and subsequently in the Ninth and Tenth standards, the Minister for Industry and Information Technology, Mr P.K. Kunhalikutty, told newspersons here on Wednesday.

The project, which will be taken up in 2,600 high schools in the State, is expected to impart education in information technology to more than 15 lakh students annually. For the purpose, as many as 60,000 teachers will be given training to equip them with the necessary teaching expertise.

For training the teachers, 70 more institutes will be established in the State, apart from the existing 41 institutes. These training centres would also be used as computer labs for the students, the Minister said.

Already, a few teachers have been trained for the purpose. Besides them, 500 teachers with basic qualifications in computer science will be appointed as "master trainers''.

The computer labs will be utilised for public purpose after the school hours. The income accrued thus would be made available for the maintenance and expansion of the IT education programme in the respective schools, Mr Kunhalikutty said.

As the first phase of the programme, a scheme called "smart school'' will be implemented in 100 schools. These schools will be provided with the Internet facility to streamline the study process by getting to know the activities in the field in various schools around the globe.

A scheme called "computer bank'' for the acquisition of computers will also be launched along with the IT education project. The computers will be acquired from corporates, banks, hardware and software companies and non-resident Keralites.

Organisations such as the Federation of Kerala Associations in North America (Fokana) and a few Keralites in the Gulf countries had already come forward to help the programme, the Minister said.

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