Mumbai school wants iPads in class

Updated on: Thursday, December 15, 2011

Podar International School, Santa Cruz, has instructed all its students to buy iPads to impart education. Vandana Lulla, school director-principal, issued a circular last week that claims the management’s decision to use the Apple iPad 2 in the classroom has been welcomed by parents. Some parents, however, feel the move is impractical, distractive and may hamper the growth of students.

The circular states, “Parents now have the choice of either purchasing the iPad 2 from the school on an outright basis or avail of a financial scheme on offer. You also need to indicate if it will be purchased by you on your own.” The school has told the parents to indicate their choice to help them negotiate bulk orders.

The parent of a class II student said, “There has been no consensus on the issue among parents. I am opposed to the move as it will hamper, rather than aid a kid’s education. I would prefer my kid to learn and write using traditional methods, instead of exposing him to advanced gadgets at a tender age. In fact, the school has a good information and technology infrastructure that is sufficient to upgrade a student’s skills.”

Another parent said, “I will shift my student to another school as it is purely a moneymaking racket. It is an irrational decision as examinations will be conducted using the conventional format.”

Yet another parent said, “I don’t have issues with the circular if it is restricted to higher grade students. These kids make use of 3D applications that make concepts related to science and technical issues much clearer.”

Some parents have come out in support of the school. A parent said, “It has taken the decision in the interests of students. I am sure students will have a headstart over others as they will be exposed to modern technology at an early age. It has assured us that it will take steps to ensure the gadget is not misused by students.”

Lulla explained, “We introduced the feature only after thorough research. We did a comparative assessment between the usual method of teaching and that with iPads and realised that this form of technology will help in the active learning of the student as it induces multisensory stimulation for them. The technique will reduce time for teachers as they can plan lectures in advance and deliver better in classrooms.”

The school started the pilot project with 10 teachers who underwent training between June and September. “Research was conducted and its results were shared with parents, most of whom agreed with the new technique,” Lulla said.

“Our classes will not entirely depend on iPads since it’s our policy not to totally depend on technology. Two out of five lectures a day will be based on this technique. Since not all parents have agreed, we have not made it compulsory for our students,” Lulla added.

The school plans to begin implementation in phases, first from the secondary section and then primary.

Incidentally, Podar had won an award for best information and communication technology-enabled school of the year.

Times View

The intentions behind Podar International School’s circular must be noble. There are tangible benefits on the use of new technology among kids. It can be used to lessen the weight that young kids are made to carry; interface with an iPad can help them acclimatize themselves with modern gadgets that they will have to use later in life. But this comes with a downside. Psychiatrists have noticed how habit-forming such gadgets can be. The ill-effects of technology on young, impressionable minds are well-documented and the potential of abuse is too real to be ignored. Schools must study the pros and cons of such decisions, mandatorily with the help of psychiatrists and experts. Parents’ fears and concerns must also be addressed before implementing such game-changing decisions.

Mumbai school wants iPads in class

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