C o m p u t e r s I n M y M o m ' s S c h o o l

I have a unique background. Both my parents have been teachers in government-run high schools. Currently, both of them are working as principals (head teachers) in their schools.

I have a bachelors degree in Computer Science and have plans of doing a PhD. For a few months, I had the amazing opportunity of working under Dr. Raj Reddy - a scientist par excellence and a visionary. One day, he has asked me a question, "Kiran, if I want to give a laptop to every student in the primary schools in India, how much would it cost me ?"

I am grateful for that question and for the few opportunities when I had the fortune of talking to him.

This association got me to think of several things, amongst which is the importance of education for the development of an economy. And the role that computers and computer scientists (including me) needed to play in this.

The last month, I went home on a holiday. My mom asked me to come and see her school. A set of 4 computers have arrived through a government sanctioned funding (there were no computers till then), and she wanted me to study their configuration.

I have spent about 1 hour in the school compound. There was a prayer ceremony where the school children recited a prayer, said the national pledge and the news of the day was read aloud. Later I looked at the school library (a collection of 500 books in a dusty almirah), laboratory equipment (simple balances, conical flasks etc - all stacked up in another almirah) and the staff room. My mind was spinning rapidly throughout the time. My mom looked at me and asked "Why are you looking so lost ? Do you want to go back home ? " No, I wanted to stay. I was looking at so many things, thinking of so many things and the ideas were coming to me in a violent storm !

The 4 computers that have arrived were in sealed cardboard boxes. "Can I open the boxes, amma ?", I asked. No there were not meant to be touched till the government sends a person to install them. That goverment person has been awaited for 3 weeks then, he did not turn up yet. "Sorry amma, I cannot say anything about the configuration without looking inside."


How I wish I can go back home - to this town called Ramachandrapuram in the East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh ! How I wish I can spend time with my parents - and understand their problems as teachers-in-charge for these schools ! How I wish I can help them to improve the schools, to introduce the new world of internet, wikipedia, e-mail, blogging ...

But here I am in Hyderabad - totally divorced from my life and my home. In a few months, I'd be going to Europe for pursuing a PhD. Forget the students of my mom's school. Even, my mom - a highly gifted teacher, does not know a thing about internet or about computers. Both her sons are computer engineers, one of them pursuing a research career. When I say that life sucks, I mean it !

"Amma, why don't you keep the library books on a table and ask the students to browse through them in the evenings ? No, the students will be too afraid to come into the staff room and look in this almirah ! "

"Amma, there is this very good software that gives economics and development data for all the countries. You should install it in the computers."

"Amma, there is this software that gives a virtual sky where you can teach the students about astronomy and the planetary systems"

"Amma, there is this new computer graphics tool that will simulate rigid body dynamics, and you can use it for teaching mechanics"

"Amma, there is this tool for observing chemical bonding between elements"

"Amma, in the internet, ...."

And my mind is spinning.. And my mind is spinning..

What do you think I should do ?