• Decentralization
• Improved pedagogy through localization of the curriculum and teacher training programs, and
• Active improvement of index of gender equity (a measure of enrollment of girls) and index of social equity (a measure of enrollment of SCs and STs).
• Improved Curriculum
• Improved Enrollment
• Financial Sustainability
• Replicability
• Capacity Building

Capacity Building in DPEP program aims to develop the human capital by training and by imparting skill sets to the teachers in the project areas. DPEP offers lots of flexibility in utilization of the capacity building funds and after getting information from various districts how best the funds are utilized, it is noticed that computers have been purchased in many districts from this head of accounts and deployed in many schools.
Innovative use of DPEP funds:
It is thought that supplying of computers alone can’t make perceptible change in the system from student’s point of view. In most of the cases the computer is used to assist the HM in replacing typewriter for official correspondence. Unless a complete plan to utilize the computer potential in teaching aid is worked out the investment is not much useful. Hence, it was decided that to make the best use of such funds by making a complete plan for computer education and computer aided education to tribal students of the Khammam district in a most innovative way and to the most deserving class of the society. The computer education to the tribals will bridge the digital divide and equip them for future challenges. District Collector and Chairman SSA & DPEP, Khammam, took the initiative to conceive Computer Education to tribals in a systematic manner. Utilization of school complexes is the first step. It is also thought that a trainer should be available to impart Computer education directly to the students rather than imparting to teachers who will take train students.


2. IMPLEMENTATION:

Giri Pragna project was conceptualized by Sri Rajendra Narendra Nimje, during December 2004. The funds were earmarked and steps taken to ground the project. Initial discussions were held with the Project Officer, ITDA Bhadrachalam, DEO (Agency), select Head Masters and teachers from the school complexes and with APD, DRDA looking after Information Technology subject.

It was decided to have a comparative study and also call few institutes who have undertaken such projects before. A team constituted under the leadership of PO ITDA has visited few schools from the 1000 schools project and documented the advantages and the problems faced in the project. Thereafter, NIIT representatives were called to discuss about the project and a joint working group was formed under the chairmanship of the district collector. The group worked on preparation of the project, its duration, choice of hardware, syllabus and training components such as no. of teachers in every school, monitoring mechanism, terms of the contract, type of contract to be called etc. Microsoft Education Group has separately contacted the collector and given a presentation on computer education scheme they are implementing. They also presented a set of books, which they are supplying in their project areas. After integrating inputs from various sources and study of the successful models in various districts in AP, the working document was freeze in March 2005 with direct inputs from Sri Rajendra Nimje on syllabus and three layer bid to finalize the contract of implementation.

Consultative Process:

After the action document is ready a workshop was called on effecting the computer education to tribal students in Khammam, which was attended by many from education field, computer education field and from IT field.
Many inputs were available to ground the scheme at this time. In order to invite bids from the reputed organizations it was thought to use the consultancy services of Andhra Pradesh Technology Services and of Andhra Pradesh Sahakara Vigyana Samithi Limited. After approaching the two the APTS requested for 3 moths time for execution and APSVS promised to complete the process within one and half months. It was thought to go for a composite turn-key bidding for hardware, software, training, stationary and all components together and bidder could have bid with monthly fee per student for Computer Education. In order to get reputed organizations participating in the bid, a Pre-Bid conference was arranged by APSVS during June 2005. A good mix of professionals and academicians were invited on the panel to evaluate the pre-bid responses. Prof. M.B. Srinivas Rao from International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad, Sri P.V. Subramanyam, ECIL scientist was among the panel members.

There were different opinions raised by NIIT, APTECH, JS Software and other companies. The rate offered by various companies was with different conditions. As the computer education field is vast, everyone was having his own ideas on teaching methods, teaching material, no. of teacher per school, choice of hardware, furniture type and number, supervision and association ITDA officials at various stages.