Visakhapatnam: It is time to embrace glossy green boards in government schools

Visakhapatnam: It is time to bid adieu to the conventional blackboards as they are going to be replaced with the glossy green boards in government schools from the forthcoming academic year. As a part of the Mana Badi – Naadu Nedu flagship programme launched by the Andhra Pradesh government that aims to revamp the existing government schools and make them more student-friendly, the blackboards are soon going to disappear from the classrooms.

Basic infrastructure works and replacement of green chalk boards will be taken up in the first phase. In connection with this, 13,409 schools to get a fresh coat of paint followed by mounting of green chalk boards in 14,970 schools across the State.

In Visakhapatnam, which is proposed to be the executive capital of the State, 1,005 schools will get a new coat of paint, while 1,128 schools to mount green boards initially.

Compared to blackboards, School Education Department officials say that green chalk boards offer multiple benefits. Sharing details with The Hans India, academic coordinator of the State Council of Educational Research and Training T V S Ramesh says, "Black and white are two extreme contrast colours. They affect the visibility of the students to a certain extent, especially the backbenchers. For some, the eyes get strained faster. On the contrary, green is an eye-pleasing colour. Children will feel more comfortable to see the letters on green board rather than on the black one."

It is not all. Even for teachers, the green boards offer a whiff of relief as the dust generated while wiping such board is comparatively far less than the conventional boards. "Some of the teachers suffer from dust allergy as they tend to inhale the chalk dust. Green boards are used with yellow chalk and the tendency of dust production is far less than the normal ones because of the glossy and smooth surface they have," elaborates Ramesh.

In line with the improvement of basic infrastructure in government schools, nine components have been identified in the first phase of Naadu-Nedu programme. This includes construction of compound wall, construction of toilet with running water, supply of drinking water, setting up of English labs, along with taking up major and minor repairs across the State at a cost of Rs 1,350 crore. Likewise, the first phase of the painting and green chalk boards will be facilitated to the State-run schools at a cost of Rs 200 crore in AP.

With Samagra Shiksha extending financial assistance for the modernisation drive, the State government has recently issued GO No:28 in this regard.