GTA initiative to set up smart classes in Darjeeling schools

YAWAN GURUNG, EOI, MIRIK, 30 MAY 2023: Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Chief Executive Officer Anit Thapa on Monday inaugurated a technology-rich smart classes and computer classes room in Manju Tea Estate. The school had been established by Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council chairman Subash Ghisingh in1988 as a model school under the name Kohinoor Primary School. 

Now Anit Thapa has reestablished the same school, probably as the first model school of GTA, as part of a pilot project, under the leadership of teacher Satish Rai. It is said that after the establishment of technology-rich smart classes, this school has reached the level of some of the similarly equipped private schools. 

Anit Thapa said the Smart Class programme was inaugurated at Manju Tea Estate Primary School to arrest the falling standard of primary education in the hills. 

“Primary education was also one of the changes in our thinking,” he said.“ Nowadays, technology has advanced a lot. Since the Gorkhaland movement of1986, the system of education has been deteriorating. 

The system itself was collapsing In the past, no attempt had been made to fix the system. Currently, we are trying to fix the education system together with the government. We have a big responsibility to save the primary school. A revolution must be started now. 

Only primary education keeps our language alive, if primary education dies, the language also dies. We are gradually trying to fix primary education”.

He said the District Magistrate of Darjeeling and GTA Chief Secretary S. Poonambalam too had extended his bet wishes to the school for doing an exemplary work by way of building a kitchen garden and a flower garden, and now introducing starting smart classes and computer classes as part of modern education in primary schools, Thapa said.

He said GTA would start smart classrooms in primary schools in Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong as well. In the ceremony, GTA Soureni constituency sabhasad, Arun Sigchi also conveyed his best wishes.