July 11, 2019, Kathmandu
Nepal Telecom Authority is planning to establish information technology laboratories in over 900 community schools of Nepal. Three companies have shown interest to take over the construction process after a tender was released from the NTA.
Machu Enterprises Pvt. Ltd., Balaju, World Distribution Nepal, Kathmandu, and Obese Max have shown interests for the project. NTA has already demanded the financial budget from the three companies. Min Prasad Aryal, a spokesperson of the authority, said that the company that will handle the construction must complete the laboratories in the proposed 900+ schools within six months.
The project will cost about four arba, and the telecom hopes that the establishment of IT labs in schools of the rural areas will aid in the betterment of educational quality in these areas. The project’s main aim is to provide better learning to students via the use of technology and to make the existing schools more tech-friendly.
NTA is providing such labs to the students free of cost. They say that the project is being conducted to properly introduce the students of such schools with the latest technology. The rural development fund is being used for the construction process.
There will be 24 computers in the labs that are being made by the authority. Two external hard disks will also be provided to each lab and internet connection will b supplied to all the laboratories with free routers. The schools that may have electricity problems will receive solar panels as well. The laboratories will also have modern projectors, printers, surveillance systems, and appropriate switches.
The authority is also looking to make the schools capable of operating the labs for which it is conducting various training programs to the teachers of these schools.
NTA believes that the project will aid in the production of skilled youths since the children will have proper access to technology at schools. The telecom had issued a proposal earlier this year to select the schools that will be provided with the labs.