The software has been bought from a private publication house for teaching Science, Maths and English to students from Standard 4 to 7. In this, the Board invested a sum of Rs 1.60 lakh. According to the Board, the software was bought last year and has already been implemented in some schools in the city. “We had floated a tender notice last year and finally chose Navneet-Gala publications and bought their series on animated education,” said Mehul Zaveri, Chairman of Municipal School Board Committee.

Ironically, while the Board claims purchase of the software and its implementation in six schools, Navneet Publications, the publishers of the software, have denied any such purchase. “We have tie-ups with many government-run schools across the state where the educational CDs are being utilised. Some schools with a pass percentage less than 30 per cent are also using it. But as of now, we have not had any talk with the municipal schools in Vadodara,” said Krishna Rajan, Marketing Manager, Navneet Publications.

Earlier, all schools had been given educational CDs formulated under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), but while most of the computers with the municipal schools are gathering dust, others lack up-gradation. “Out of 400 computers that we have in 115 municipal schools, only 25 to 30 are upgraded,” said Zaveri.

While the schools staffs at Fatehpura have sounded their need for benches and proper drainage system for the monsoon, students at Harni have not seen a computer in a long time. There are roughly over 25 schools that still lack basic amenities such as benches, toilets, water or even proper playgrounds. “Since the computers are very old, we are unable to install the content of the educational CD. So, children usually play games or use the paint module on the computers. Though there have been talks of new computers, but it has been a long time since anyone was sent for the maintenance of the machines,” said the principal of Fatehpura School.