Over 6,000 government schools to get hi-tech computers

Accordingly, the state government has instructed Tamil Nadu Text Book and Educational Services Corporation (TNTBES) to the supply, install, test, commission and provide maintenance support of these technologically advanced labs, which will be equipped with servers, thin clients (light weight computer), firewall, wireless access point, LAN connection, projector, printer, UPS, IP phones and web cameras.

A total of 3,090 government high schools and 2,939 government higher secondary schools in Tamil Nadu will get the lab facilities.

A senior official from School Education Department told DT Next on Monday that a tender has already been floated to select an organisation, which would carry out in establishing labs in 6,029 government schools.

“The labs is expected to be operative February 2019,” the official said.

The official added that the secondary school labs will have ten low weight computers, one multifunctional printer, integrated projectors, UPS systems for continuous internet connectivity, firewall with LAN connection, web camera, and an internet connection with one MBPS bandwidth along with IP phones.

The higher secondary school lab will have 20 computer systems and 2MBPS internet bandwidth, he said adding the operating system will be Microsoft Server 2016 and Redhat Enterprise’s Linux Server.

“Software such as Open Office Suite will be available in the computers,” the official said. The IP phones, which will be installed in the labs will support industry standard audio codecs (G.711, G.729 and G.722). “We will instruct the service provider to design the project, which should be scalable to handle about 10,000 schools in the future,” he said.

The official pointed out that appointed company, which undertakes the project, will be providing one qualified project manager based at Chennai to coordinate, implement and to provide regular feedback and status reports regarding the project to the director of the School Education Department.

After successful implementation of the lab project, the government is considering to implement the same for elementary schools.