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| Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Microsoft signs MoU on Joint initiative for Digital Transformation of Tribal Schools |
New Delhi (Lisbon Times):- With a vision to build an inclusive, skills-based economy, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs
(MTA) today inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Microsoft to support
the digital transformation of schools such as Eklavya Model Residential Schools
(EMRS) and Ashram Schools, among others under the Ministry at an online event
‘Empowering Youth For Success’. Under affirmative action the initiative, Microsoft will make AI curriculum available to tribal
students in both English and Hindi at all EMRS schools under the
Ministry to skill educators and students in next-generation technologies
including Artificial Intelligence.
The event was
graced by the Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, Sh. Arjun Munda; Union Minister
of State for Tribal Affairs Smt Renuka Saruta ; Secretary, Tribal Affairs, Sh
Anil Jha and Shri Navtez Bal, Executive Director- Public Sector, Microsoft
India and senior officers of the Ministry and EMRS.
Speaking at the event, Minister for Tribal Affairs Shri
Arjun Munda said that our students need to get ready to compete at the global
level. “This program will prove beneficial in terms of readiness, preparedness
of our students at various international forums. Through these programs, our
students would get the required skill set through digital transformation and
this would open a new chapter with AI and coding being a part of the curriculum,”
he said.
Shri Munda
also added that for the digital India Mission to be successful every segment of
the society needs to be empowered and he hoped that this Microsoft program
would be able to bridge the gap between the tribal students and others.
Speaking on occasion Smt. Renuka Singh Saruta, Minister
of State for Tribal Affairs said that this is a unique opportunity for the tribal
students to get global standard education and to get a level playing field.
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“This initiative can be a great help to the tribal
students for maintaining continuity in their education in this lockdown period.
What is great about the program is that not only the students but 5000
teachers nominated by the ministry across these schools would be provided with
professional training,” she added.
Under this program in the first phase, 250 EMRS schools
have been adopted by Microsoft out of which 50 EMRS schools will be given
intensive training and 500 master trainers would be trained in the first phase.
Teachers across states in India will be trained in a
phased manner for using productivity technologies like Office 365 and AI
applications in teaching, helping them deliver blended or remote learning
experiences to students in a more personalized, productive, and secure manner.
Teacher training will introduce them to the world of virtual collaboration and
how teaching can be augmented with virtual field trips or remote sessions with
experts. The program will also offer opportunities for teachers to earn
professional e-badges and e-certificates from the Microsoft Education Centre.
Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Microsoft India today signed MoU on Joint initiative for Digital Transformation of Eklavya Model Residential Schools and NGO Schools.
— Arjun Munda (@MundaArjun) May 17, 2021
The collaboration seeks to skill educators and students in next-generation digital pic.twitter.com/20HPYtWosB
Speaking about the partnership, Shri Navtez Bal,
Executive Director, Public Sector, Microsoft India, said “The past year in both
policy and practice has shown us that the future of learning will be more personalized
and driven by technology. Our partnership with the Ministry of Tribal Affairs
is a step to enable education equity, providing equal opportunity and access
for the next generation of learners and educators from schools under the
Ministry. We are deeply committed to the digital transformation of education in
India and to support a community that will play a key role in shaping India's
next phase of growth.
Sh. Anil Kumar
Jha, Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs stated that the transformational
change in the new generation will happen through education and health. “This program will ensure that tribal students get a chance to change their future,
their environment, their village, and the overall community. The active partnership
by Microsoft will help in creating the talent pool that will be an asset to the
country in the future,” He also said that this program should not be a one-off
but a continuous process through generations creating a repository of knowledge.
Under the partnership, students from schools under the
Ministry will be mentored on projects that involve AI applications for societal
good and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Students will also be
trained and exposed to gamified environments on Minecraft to help build design
thinking skills. To enable inclusion and access, Microsoft will make the AI
curriculum available to the schools and students in both English and Hindi.
The initiative will also enable the professional
development of educators, enabling them to use technology in classrooms.
Microsoft will work closely with schools across states under the Ministry of
Tribal Affairs to accelerate digital transformation. These schools will be
equipped with the technology, training, and tools required to transform them
into Microsoft Showcase Schools, which embody technological innovation in
teaching, use productivity insights for decision making, and create accessible
and personalized learning experiences for every student.
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