In a major step to strengthen IT learning in schools in Kerala, the state government has launched a scheme to distribute laptops and netbooks to 50,000 teachers at a fair price under the IT@School Project.

Under the plan, computers would be distributed at the rate which is as less as one third of the market prices.

The teachers could purchase laptops at a price of Rs.17,770 and netbooks at Rs.11,450 each respectively, availing a reduction of as much as 37 per cent and 36 per cent of market rates of Rs.28,000 and Rs.18,000.

Top three companies-- Wipro, HCL and RP Infosystems-- have been seleted for the supply of laptops and netbooks through techon-commerical tenders.

As per the tender conditions, teachers would get opportunity to review the pieces of all three companies at the District Offices of the Project.

Over 7500 laptops have alredy been provided to various schools till 2009-10 under the IT@school programme .This year, another lot of 8000 laptops and 6000 netbooks would be provided to the schools.

The approach of using laptops and projectors in class rooms rather than the conventional 'Computer Lab' method has been well accepted by the teaching community.

"There have been constant requests from the teachers as well as Teachers' unions that laptops may be provided to the teachers at lower rates, so that they are well equipped to make use of ICT in their teaching process.

We are sure that this new scheme of providing laptops and netbooks to teachers would create new waves in the educational scenario of the State," said K Anvar Sadath, Executive Director, IT@School Project.

After evaluating the progress of this scheme, we could expedite the possibility of giving other equipment like Multimedia Projectors, Printers, scanners, handicams, digital cameras also to teachers at reduced rates, he said.