HP partners NCERT for education initiative 'Lab-in-Box'
Computer maker HP today said it has partnered with the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to bring in mobile computing resources to schools all across the country.
Called the 'Lab-in-Box', the classroom is housed in a shipping container that can be readily transported. It includes furniture, PCs, printers, wireless connectivity and an electrical generator as a power back up.
"We have developed the solution to help implement more creative, sustainable and inclusive models of education.
"As part of its Vision 2020 plan, the Government is looking to increase the number of school going children to 30% by 2020. Access to technology will play a vital role in enabling this increase," HP India Vice President and General Manager (Personal Systems Group) Sunil Dutt told PTI.
The prototype is housed at the NCERT campus and ready to be demonstrated to schools. NCERT plans to use the Lab-in-Box to demonstrate interactive learning via its online syllabi and tutorials for students and teachers across India.
The education software used is based on NCERT's education content platform, he said.
"We are exploring all options to implement the project. This includes the government and private schools as we feel this model can prove to be very helpful in meeting the objectives of imparting education to all," Dutt said.
Asked about the price, he said it would depend on the size and technical specifications of the classroom.