HRD Minister Kapil Sibal today announced plans to launch an innovative scheme to spread elementary education using Information Communication Technology (ICT) tools.

The new scheme will be similar to the existing ICT scheme in higher education.

"We are planning to start a new ICT scheme in elementary education. This will address the requirement of teachers and help the students study on their own," Sibal told reporters on the sidelines of a programme here.

He said the scheme would focus on development of e-contents which would be used by students at primary and upper-primary classes for learning purposes. This will take care of the unavailability of teachers to a great extent.

Besides, separate modules would be developed for assessment and evaluation of students. Teachers' training will be a component under the proposed scheme.

"We are consulting the IITs for evolving the scheme. Role of technology is paramount and it will provide affordable solution to the country's need for education," he said.

He said there is huge requirement of teachers at primary and upper primary stages across the country.

"Solution will come from technology. Through digital signal processing, we have to reach out to students. We have to have a system in place to help students learn on their own," he said at the function organised by Texas Instruments to display new-age products in education.

At present, the government is running a Rs 6000 crore ICT scheme in higher education.

Minister of State for HRD D Purandeswari said poor enrollment rate and unavailability of teachers were the major challenges in education sector.