Budgets cut to buy computer tablets

[PeteC]

If this doesn't make you angry, it should IMO. I would love to see which much needed programs they cut to make this gimmick campaign look like it's a success, but they'll never publish it. I'm waiting for reports of these tablets turning up by the thousands in pawn shops. Perhaps too cynical, and I'll be pleasantly surprised if the entire program doesn't die a slow death and simply disappears from the news.....of course the money will be gone...mai pen rai. Having said all that I guess if 10% of the kids are able to drag themselves out of poverty because of the tablets, it's worth it, or something at least. Pete



Budgets cut to buy tablets

Published: 4/04/2012 at 02:12 AM
Newspaper section: News

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/2 ... uy-tablets

The Ministry of Education will slash spending elsewhere to raise money for more tablet computers.

Education Minister Suchart Thada-thamrongvech wants to increase the number of student tablets which the ministry will order to 1 million units. He has asked the ministry's agencies to slash spending to raise the funds.

The minister said the cabinet has approved 1.6 billion baht to buy 860,000 tablets for Pathom 1 students, or first-graders, under the government's "One Tablet per Child" scheme.

But the ministry want to increase the number of tablets to 1 million, which will cost 2.4 billion baht, so it can distribute them to all of 950,000 Prathom 1 students and 50,000 teachers.

As a result, the ministry needs to find another 800 million baht.

"I have asked all agencies to cut expenditure over the next fiscal year to find more money," he said.

The first batch of tablets will be ready in time for the new semester starting in May, he said.

"The MoU with China should be signed soon after the Songkran festival. After that, 2,000 tablets will arrive within 15 days for testing," Chinnapat Boonyakiat, head of the Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec), said.

Obec has developed the contents of the five core subjects to be loaded on to the tablets.

[Lung Per]

So I shouldn't buy one for junior? The Government will provide?

[johnnyk]

Tablets on their own aren't enough. More important would be a cultural shift to value education and critical thinking. More likely it will be a big payoff to whichever brother-in-law is the distributor for the chosen tablet. The tablets will be used for Ragnarok or some other brain-numbing junk. No deus ex machina here for the Thai "education" system.

[brianks]

I agree with Presect. Wait until these things start showing up at the many fresh and night markets around Thailand. Could have used the money much more effectively by paying the teachers a fair wage. Will be all gone now and as was said will fade from the spotlight and just die on the vine.

[Takiap]

Could have used the money much more effectively by paying the teachers a fair wage. Will be all gone now and as was said will fade from the spotlight and just die on the vine.

An under qualified teacher will be an under qualified teacher, irrespective of how much you pay them. A perfect example would be the recent declaration that during 2012, one day per week should be an English day in classrooms. My guess is 90% of the teachers don't know enough English to fill a day. Last year my daughter's teacher wrote on her report that our daughter is behind with her English. How she came to that conclusion is anyone's guess since she can't speak a word of English herself.


To be perfectly honest, I'm shocked at just how easy it is for someone to be able to get a piece of paper which allows them to teach.

[GLCQuantum]

And the hilarity continues. Apparantly the Thai 'Government' is ready to initiate 'Plan B' - One textbook for every child

BANGKOK: -- The Education Ministry is now preparing for what could be called Plan B - to hand out textbooks to Prathom 1 students, because it has become apparent computer tablets will not reach their hands for the coming semester.

A new term starts next month for school students across the country, but the government and its chosen Chinese supplier have failed to conclude a purchase contract.

Initially, the government planned to implement its much-publicised One Tablet Per Child (OTPC) scheme by handing close to one million tablets to all Prathom 1 students at the start of the upcoming semester.

"But we have a Plan B. We will rush to ensure that textbooks reach the students' hands before the new semester begins," Education Minister Suchart Tadathamrongvej said yesterday.

He said his ministry had a budget for textbook procurement.

It would also have to seek funds for the procurement of tablets for 500 selected teachers, scheduled to attend intensive training on the use of tablets so they can serve as trainers for other teachers.

Suchart said if a purchase contract was signed, the Chinese supplier would have to swiftly deliver 2,000 tablets to Thailand initially, as the devices would be needed for use in training.

"These 2,000 tablets are unlikely to reach Thailand in time, either," Suchart said.

In a related development, Srinakharinwirot University (SWU) president Asst Prof Dr Chalermchai Boonyaleepan said that a study on the use of tablets for learning in class would be concluded soon.

The Education Ministry had assigned the university to do this research.

Chalermchai said the findings would be done by yesterday(April 23), but the team would take some time to interpret the findings, which have shown both benefits and disadvantages of using tablets.

"We will release the findings in easy-to-understand language to the public in early May," Chalermchai said.

Source : The Nation

[buksida]

A Chinese company, Yitoa Shenzhen, and a Thai firm, Supreme Distribution, have won the latest bidding contest under the One Tablet Per Child project to supply a total of 1.22 million units worth combined 2.8 billion baht to students in three regions.

The e-auction organised by the Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) on Friday involved four zones. Median prices varied in each zone.

The Chinese firm won the contract for the first and second zones and the Thai company won the third zone, Obec announced.

The first zone covers some central and southern provinces, the second encompasses some northern and northeastern provinces. The third zone comprises areas in the central and southern regions.

Yitao and Supreme tendered to supply tablet computers at 1,953.12 baht and 2,103.64 baht respectively for the first, second and third zones, about 20% lower than the median price set at 2,720 baht, the Obec announcement said.

The price is for tablets for Prathom 1 (Grade 1) students.

They proposed the lowest price for tablet computers for Mathayom 1 students in the three zones at 2,908.42 baht, or a 0.4% reduction from the median price of 2,920 baht, it added.

Obec postponed the auction for the fourth zone – covering some northern and northeastern provinces – until July because Yitao was the only bidder. There must be at least two bidders.

Obec has called for tenders to supply a total of 1.63 milion tablet computers in the four zones.

Source: Bangkok Post

[sandemb]

A tablet as such is of little use unless it has access to internet. Perhaps by grade 5, all these kids will be experts at Angry Birds!