Abans opens two smart classrooms in Kuliyapitiya

To provide every Sri Lankan child a high-quality education

As a further step towards their goal of ensuring that each Sri Lankan child receives a better education, Abans launched two new smart classrooms in the Kurunegala District. Both were formally opened by Hon. Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, Minister of Education, at Central College Kuliyapitiya and Saranath College Kuliyapitiya on the 13th and 18th of July respectively. The Senior Management of Abans and dignitaries from the Ministry of Education were also present at the two events.

Following on the heels of the recent flagship smart classroom launch at Vishaka Girls’ High School, Badulla, the introduction of these classrooms represent the next stage in the Abans Smart Classroom Initiative. Developed with the support of the Ministry of Education ( MOE) and Ministry of Telecommunication and Digital Infrastructure (MTDI), this initiative embodies Abans’ commitment towards uplifting the current academic standards in Sri Lanka’s public education system. The project has already received immense critical acclaim amongst educators and business leaders who have noted the positive role that the Smart Classrooms can play in enhancing the socioeconomic prospects of local students.

The Abans Smart Classroom provides both teachers and students the opportunity to engage in different academic techniques, other than rote memorisation. Addressing the divergent needs, abilities and learning styles expressed by the school population of today, this all-inclusive solution aims to engender deeper critical thinking skills, improve motivation in the classroom and broaden students’ scope of knowledge. The interactive nature of the classroom makes learning more fun for students, whilst fostering greater engagement with both the teacher and the lesson. The Smart Classroom solution can be used for a variety of applications including distance learning.

All smart classrooms feature the integration of unique computing and assistive learning devices specially designed by Haier. Each teacher and student will receive a Haier laptop, which is connected to a wireless access point that serves as the classroom cloud.

Through the wireless access point’s adaptability and the classroom management software, the teacher can monitor students’ progress on assigned tasks and assist them in their learning process. Students will also be able to collaborate with each other on projects, writing assignments, debates and more using their laptops.

Additionally, teachers can project their lessons onto a Hi- Board, an interactive smart display with touch functionality and tempered glass-based backboard panels that support multiple writing tools such as regular chalk, dustless chalk and marker pens. This display device includes built- in aids and software for different shapes, characters and scientific formulas, making lecturing more efficient and convenient for the teacher. Plus, the lessons generated through the interactive whiteboard feature of the Hi-Board will automatically be uploaded on the students’ laptops.