Scheduled Caste belts: State plans smart classrooms in 358 schools

Kolkata: For hundreds of students in Scheduled Caste-concentrated pockets of Bengal — many of them first-generation learners — the traditional blackboard may soon give way to interactive digital screens and technology-enabled teaching tools.

The West Bengal government has floated a tender to set up two smart classrooms each in 358 government-run and government-aided schools located in SC-concentrated areas across the state, officials said. The initiative has been taken by the Backward Classes Welfare Department, with Webel as the implementing agency.

Sources said schools identified under the project are spread across South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Hooghly, Howrah, West Burdwan, West Midnapore, East Midnapore, Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram and Birbhum.

An official said the aim is to introduce interactive, technology-driven classrooms in regions where access to digital learning infrastructure has remained limited. Each smart classroom will be equipped with interactive touch panels, computing units, audio systems, cameras, power backup systems and related equipment to support digital instruction.

According to project details, the selected agency will be responsible for delivery, installation and training. Teachers will receive district-level offline training followed by online sessions to ensure effective classroom use of the technology, the official said.

All 358 schools already have existing classroom space available for setting up the smart classrooms, according to officials. The equipment will carry a minimum three-year on-site warranty and a support system will be put in place to address technical complaints from schools. The supply and installation is expected to be completed within 24 to 32 weeks from the issuance of the work order.

“The objective is to ensure that students in SC-concentrated areas are not left behind as education becomes increasingly technology-driven,” an official said, describing the move as part of the state’s broader effort to strengthen inclusive and equitable access to modern education.

If implemented on schedule, the initiative could

significantly alter classroom experiences in some of Bengal’s most socially and economically disadvantaged regions, bringing digital learning tools closer to thousands of students, the official added.