Under the programme, each of the upper primary schools is provided with a lab equipped with six computer sets and furniture. Also, compact discs (CDs) containing specially designed animated pictorial software and other teaching contents related to different subjects like maths, science and geography are provided.

"There are around 22,000 government-run upper primary schools across Gujarat, and we have already set up computer labs in as many as 4,871 schools. For the new target, the government has made a budgetary provision of Rs 84 crore," said Meena Bhatt, state Project Director (District Primary Education Programme).

Bhatt told Newsline on Saturday that the Gujarat Informatics Limited (GIL) – the government's IT arm – will soon invite bids from private firms to supply computers, software and furniture to set up labs in schools. The GIL has been assigned the task of inviting and finalising tenders, and procure hardware and software from the parties.

In the first phase that covered 4,871 schools, the government had engaged three leading private firms – Delhi-based Educom, Chennai-based Teledata and Avronn – for setting up the labs in these schools on the build, operate, own and transfer (BOOT) basis. During the five-year BOOT period, the companies are also facilitating teachers' training.

"We hope to cover all 22,000 upper primary schools across the state in the next two years. Besides, each of these schools is being provided with the satellite-based KU band. This envisages to enable students to have an easy access to even learning/teaching programmes being aired from the Gandhinagar-based Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Application and Geo-Informatics (BAISAG)," said Anita Karwal, Primary Education Secretary.

The government had launched the CALP programme with the objective of making students computer literate, besides enhancing quality learning/teaching in these schools. Besides, the programme aims at encouraging parents to send their wards in government-run schools, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas. The programme has helped reduce the drop-out rate in most of the schools where it is already being implemented, claimed a senior officer.

The CDs containing animated software with interactive features in Gujarati help both the teachers and students in the teaching/learning process, especially while dealing with nagging subjects like science and maths.