Delays in smart board project could jeopardise equipment worth millions
View(s):The delay in implementing the smart board project for government schools could put equipment worth millions of rupees procured for distribution in peril, Education Ministry sources said.
The Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of
Sri Lanka (TRCSL) provided 1,500 smartboards for distribution to rural schools as part of an agreement signed with the Education Ministry in 2024, but the distribution has not taken place to date.
The smart boards were procured at a cost of Rs1.7 billion to be distributed to government schools as part of the school digitalisation programme. The objective was to provide an education of the quality found in national schools to all other schools as well.
Education Ministry sources, who wished to remain anonymous, said that along with the agreement with the TRCSL, the Government also signed an agreement with the Chinese Government for a grant amounting to USD20 million for the distribution of smart boards.
However, negotiations are still underway to procure the smart boards under the Chinese grant – thus delaying the overall implementation of the project.
The sources said that the delay in the distribution of the smart board could jeopardise the entire project as there was the possibility that they would perish in storage.
“These are electronic equipment. Their batteries could get damaged and leak, thus destroying the entire equipment while there is a chance the boards will deteriorate under storage,” the sources said, adding that it was imperative that the implementation of the project begins as soon as possible without waiting for the finalisation of the Chinese project.
-DWI
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