School kids in rural Tamil Nadu have, computer education rolling their way. A computer-on-wheels programme,. devised by Anna University in Madras, is teaching three computer languages - Basic, D Base3+ and Lotus - to high school children in rural areas of the state. Five computers are taken to each school in a three-month course.

Initiated in 1992 in schools run by the Madras city corporation, the scheme was soon extended to schools. around Vellore and Salem. Funded by the state-owned Tamil Nadu Foundation for Educational Programmes, computer-on-wheels hag also secured financial support from, private companie's and parent-teacher associations. Say's P. Narayanaswamy, acting head , of the Ramanujan Computer Centre, of Anna University, "It costs R.s 2,000.to extend the programme to a new school in these two districts.' However, establishing the programme in the other districts would require about Rs.10,000 per school."