Srinagar: A two-day virtual conclave, the theme of which was “Technology Imperative to Achieve Equity in Education”, organized by JK Arts Foundation concluded on Monday.
The conclave that aimed to add new dimensions to the crucial debate “whether education technology can offer a good alternative to traditional education” was attended by Director School Education Kashmir, Dr Tasaduq Hussain Mir, G.N Var, President Private Schools’ Association J&K, Lateef Masoodi, CEO, Nurture Careers and Aspire Institute, Kartik Desai, Social Impact Investor Advisor, Professor (Asha Impact KOIS, Ashoka University), besides a good number of audience including teachers.
Among the topics discussed at the conclave were: How we can bridge the digital divide to ensure equity and non-discrimination in access to education; what are the challenges and differences in building a technology-driven Ed-tech solution to develop solutions and education opportunities for all; how technology has changed how to teach and learn as well as the ability to collaborate over distances; how technology is eliminating the physical barriers to change the way education is delivered, accessed, assessed and perceived.
Speaking on the occasion, the Director School Education Kashmir, Dr Tasaduq Hussain Mir said: “Technology played a critical role in imparting education during the COVID-19 as it helped the educational institutions to overcome the constraints imposed by the pandemic.”
“I am always ready to offer my support to an organization like JK Arts Foundation that is working for the welfare of the student community,” Mir said, adding, “I am extremely happy to have agreed to be a part of the JKAF Virtual Conclave.”
While appreciating the efforts and contribution of JK Arts Foundation to leverage technology to democratize ‘Arts in Education’, G.N. Var, Lateef Masoodi and Kartik Desai expressed their readiness and willingness in supporting the development and implementation of JK Arts Foundation programmes and initiatives.
JKAF CEO and Founder, Geeta Vaishnavi, thanked the speakers for sharing their valuable insights at the JKAF virtual conclave and said: “As an artist, educator and social entrepreneur, I see a paradigm shift in the age-old educational methods with the advancements and inclusion of robotics, artificial intelligence and technology. As we move towards the fourth industrial revolution, creative thinking and technology will lead disruption and revolutionize existing systems.”
“As we witness this great shift in digital education systems, the onus lies on the leaders, policymakers, technocrats, social entrepreneurs and philanthropists to ensure equity in education. Benefits of the digital revolution should be enjoyed by both privileged as well the ones from disadvantaged communities,” said Geeta.
“It is very easy to build a brand for the haves of the society who have easy access to facilities like high-speed internet and uninterrupted electricity. The real challenge lies in creating a free product for ones who don’t have easy access to such facilities,” she added.
JK Arts Foundation is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven, art-focused education technology (ed tech) not-for-profit NGO with a prime focus on providing a platform to children to discover their artistic expressions. The organization is determined to be collaborative, inclusive and innovative to reach 5 million children by 2025.
