A major theft of computers and costly digital tools at Zilla Parishad High School at Madupalli in Madhira mandal on Tuesday has brought the issue of the safety of the digital equipment to the spotlight.
Sources said two computers, a printer, and other costly equipment worth around ₹2 lakh were stolen from school by miscreants late on Tuesday night.
A sophisticated digital projector, an inverter and a DVD player recently supplied by the government as part of its major push to promote digital learning were also among the equipment lost in the burglary, the sources added.
The incident has exposed the glaring deficiency of watchmen to guard the State-run high school buildings, which are being equipped with modern digital tools to enhance teaching and learning outcome.
The State government’s well-intended digital classroom initiative has been fraught with several other shortcomings such as lack of dedicated computer labs and trained regular computer instructors.
There were several instances where burglars targeted the government schools located quite away from the main residential localities at different places in Khammam rural, Nelakondapalli and Tirumalayapalem mandals in the undivided Andhra Pradesh.
Computers worth lakhs of rupees supplied under the Computer-Aided Learning Scheme were stolen by miscreants in a series of thefts that occurred in various schools more than four years ago, sources said. A complaint on the theft of digital equipment from the ZP High School at Madupalli had already been lodged with the Madhira town police, said Y. Prabhakar, Mandal Educational Officer, Madhira.
The school has an attender and sweeper. However, it does not have a watchman, he told The Hindu , when contacted. A detailed investigation is under way, said Tirupati Reddy, Sub-Inspector of Police, Madhira.
