Over the last one year, a quaint little zilla parishad school in Pargaon, Beed, has transformed itself completely. With a fully-operational recording studio, a state-of-the-art virtual classroom and 24-hour electricity back up, the school that was once struggling to sustain itself has become a model for other schools to follow.
36-year-old Somnath Walke, a teacher at the school, who is the brain behind the school’s transformation, has been awarded the 2017 National Award for teachers using information and communications technology (ICT) for innovation in education awarded by the Government of India.
Two other teachers from small zilla parishad schools in the state — Vikram Adsul and Ravi Bhapkar from Ahmednagar — have won the award along with Walke for their use of technology to transform their schools.