School Education Principal Secretary Praveen Prakash on March 28 (Thursday) instructed the District Education Officers to ensure that digital infrastructure such as smart TVs, computers, Interactive Flat Panels, projectors and other devices were in good condition, in view of the TOEFL (Test of English as Foreign Language) scheduled to be held on April 10 and 12.
Informing that the head of the Assessment Cell in the Andhra Pradesh State Council of Educational Research and Training (APSCERT) S. Satish had forwarded a list of schools designated to conduct the TOEFL to the respective DEOs, Mr. Praveen Prakash said if the equipment needed repairs, the officials must get it done it in the next 10 days by utilising the School Maintenance Fund.
He said during his visit to various schools, he had observed underutilisation of the digital equipment, with surplus television sets lying unused. He wanted those to be shifted to schools that needed them.
Students in Foundation Plus Schools (Classes 3, 4 and 5) will write the TOEFL on April 10 while those in Pre-High Schools and High Schools (Classes 6 to 10) will write the test on April 12. As many as 52 teachers imparting TOEFL classes to students from the best performing Foundation Plus, Pre-High Schools and High Schools will get the opportunity to become a part of a week-long immersive training programme at Princeton University, the headquarters of the Educational Testing Service (ETS).
The Principal Secretary urged the trained teachers to utilise the opportunity with a word of caution that the integrity of the examination should be compromised under no circumstances. “No external invigilators will be present at the time of the examination. As educators, we must instil values and honesty in our students,” he said.
Digital technology project
Mr. Praveen Prakash said that the State project related to leveraging digital technology for school education with the support of Future Skill experts has advanced to the next stage of the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration. “It has been short-listed for the semi-final round,” he said, adding that a Central team of experts would visit to assess the project’s impact.
