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one-three students to one tutor. Because of the multimedia feature, the computer lessons use audio and video with student interaction for tuition. The computer is the tutor and the human is a facilitator. Besides, it can keep a record of his rate of progress and final status and can make examinations superfluous. In the privacy of the computer tuition, the students are relaxed and enjoy attempting quizzes. The concentration of the students on the lesson is markedly greater. The computer lesson brings the best of teachers to every student and makes an optimum combination of text, sound and visuals including sketches, photographs and videos and animations. What is more, they take a shorter time than a classroom lecture, without audio/video. Let us now answer most of the common doubts. Can we afford computers? The cost of a student hour on a multimedia computer (5-year amortisation on RS. 25,000) is less than Re. 1 per day, with less than 2 children learning at one time. The Primary School teacher with Rs 50,000 per year, costs more than a Rs. 2 per student hour, assuming 200 work days, 3 class hours per day (5 periods) and 40 students per class. Who will maintain the computers in the rural schools? The computer hardware is simpler to maintain than a diesel engine. We already have many of our rural youth trained to even assemble computers. Last May, we had a 3-week course when 15 representatives of rural schools learnt how to use the computer and assembled their own computers, took them home and set them up. Many of them are using computers to give us a monthly feedback; (by post because the telephone lines are not connected yet). We are also producing CD lessons on how to assemble multi-media computers, partition and format hard discs, load the software, do Rural Development Through Education System 90
