For Nida Showkat (16), the large screen mounted on the front wall of her classroom is more than a piece of technology; it is a window to a new world — a world that allows her to breach the geographical confines of her small village and dream big.A class 10 student at the Government Higher Secondary School (GHS) in Shogpora village of Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam district, Showkat is part of an initiative designed for “equitable access to quality education” for students from across government schools of the district.On Monday, as the schools opened after a long winter break, Budgam Deputy Commissioner Dr Bilal Mohi-Ud-Din Bhat inaugurated the Hybrid Learning System (HLS), which blends physical classrooms and centralised digital teaching infrastructure for schools.While Budgam is geographically close to Srinagar, it lags behind other districts in educational indicators. The district has recorded the lowest literacy rate in the Kashmir Valley, and the second-lowest in the Union Territory of J&K. The district has recorded the lowest literacy rate in the Kashmir Valley, and the second-lowest in the Union Territory of J&K.“This (the HLS) has opened a new world for our students,” says Dr Syed Sabhi, who teaches Botany at GHS Shogpora, adding, “It is a step towards bridging the long-standing gap in access to quality education.”The Hybrid Learning System is an interactive technology-enabled academic network in which 13 government schools in Budgam have been connected with two centralised studios in the first phase. The studios are equipped with high-definition cameras, interactive digital boards, and microphones. Subject experts deliver lectures from the studios, and these are streamed in real time to all connected schools.The platform enables two-way communication, allowing students to ask questions or clear any confusion during a session. The lectures are also recorded and can be shared with students through WhatsApp for revision at home.Story continues below this adAfter 13 schools in the first phase, the plan is to work towards connecting around 40 more.“It marks a pivotal moment in our educational journey — ensuring that quality interactive learning is not limited by geography or infrastructure,” says Deputy Commissioner Bhat.“By leveraging technology, we are trying to empower both students and teachers, bridging learning gaps, improving learning outcomes and preparing the youth for a future built on innovation,” Bhat says.The seeds of this idea were first sown in 2018, when Bhat worked as an IAS probationer in Budgam. During a collaboration with Hyderabad-based Vandemataram Education Foundation (VMF), which works to improve education in under-resourced government schools, Bhat worked closely with schools and schoolchildren in Budgam.Story continues below this ad“In 2018, what we observed was that there was fear of mathematics among students, and the concepts were not clear to them. We realised the need for early intervention,” says Bhat. “We collaborated with VMF, and by using modern pedagogy based on scientific principles, we started a three-month winter programme for students in 15 schools. The learning outcomes were amazing.”Last year, when he was Deputy Commissioner of Srinagar, Bhat launched the Hybrid Learning System there and has now replicated it in Budgam.“This (Budgam initiative) is more satisfying and important than Srinagar,” says Rifat Qadri, Chief Education Officer (CEO) of Budgam. “Srinagar has access to quality education, the staff strength is also good. In Budgam, we not only have a shortage of staff, but also the schools are in far-off and remote areas,” Qadri says.The new framework also has the capacity to connect schools that already have Information and Communication Technology (ICT) labs.Story continues below this adOn Monday, while inaugurating the HLS in Budgam, Bhat briefly slipped into a teacher’s role when a student asked how computer language works in binaries. He walked them through the periodic table, explained semiconductors, and broke down how the binary system operates on simple on-and-off signals — the zeroes and ones that power computing.He also spoke about rare-earth metals and explained how these elements have become strategic assets, giving countries leverage in geopolitics.But at GHS Shogpora, principal Shakeel Ahmad says the real leverage is knowledge, and believes this initiative will go a long way to equip his students with this power.