CEO of the Azim Premji Foundation, Dileep Ranjekar, addresses a media conference. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, May 4: The Azim Premji Foundation had to wrap up its ambitious computer-aided learning research for the state government’s non-cooperation, CEO of the foundation Dileep Ranjekar alleged here today.

Speaking on the sidelines of educational initiatives of the Azim Premji Foundation and the Azim Premji University, Ranjekar said that the ‘computer-aided learning’ research project began in the state in 2008. It was scheduled to be completed by 2011. The project, however, had to be abruptly stopped in 2010.

The research aimed at developing and empowering teachers to enable them to enhance knowledge of students and create learner-centric classroom processes with and without the use of technology.

After the foundation made a presentation, the state government expressed its interest in the project. The government had also signed a memorandum of understanding with the foundation, which spelt out the roles and responsibilities of both the government and the foundation.

While the responsibility of the government was to take care of the hardware requirements, the foundation had the onus of providing content and training.

The research was supposed to be taken up in 60 schools across the state. “However, it could not be continued because of several reasons. The government did not provide the schools with adequate computers and other hardware infrastructure. According to the MoU, teachers were not to be transferred during the research period. But this clause, also, was not maintained by the government. We, therefore, had no option but to wind up the research with mutual consent,” he said.

“Two other state governments which had also signed MoUs with us — Puducherry and Chhattisgarh — however, continued with the project. The project is now nearing completion and it will be released soon,” Ranjekar added.

The Azim Premji Foundation, however, plans to restart its activities in Orissa by setting up a state and some district institutes.

“There will also be two demonstration schools in each district to prove that low-cost schools can provide quality education. The project will begin in 2013. But, we need experts for improving the quality of rural education,” he added. Ranjekar said the Azim Premji University in Bengaluru was committed to developing professionals in the field of education and development. The university would soon launch three new programmes — M.A. in education, development, and teachers’ education — from July.