New Education Minister Plans To Give 1 Million Computers To Students

[george]

New education minister plans to give 1 million computers to students

BANGKOK: -- Education Minister Somchai Wongsawat said Thursday that he would have the ministry purchase 1 million computers to distribute to poor students.

He unveiled the plan upon taking office for the first day and after met senior education officials.

Somchai said the project was initiated by the Thai Rak Thai Party during election campaigns in 2005.

Khunying Kasama Worawan said she believed Somchai was referring to the project initiated by then prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to buy low-cost notebook computers designed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for poor students.

-- The Nation 2008-02-07

[A_Traveller]

OMG not OLPC again! The 100 no, 150, or maybe 200 dollar laptop saga.

Regards

[Khun Jean]

Better an OLPC then some other. At least the price is known all over the world. Buying a 200$ computer for 300$ and 100$ disappearing is a lot more difficult when prices are known.

For that reason i bet it will not be an OLPC.

[A_Traveller]

^ My point being the price isn't known and has been subject to huge variations, with Negroponte effectively saying in a few years they'll be about 15o{ish}. There are holes for abuse there, just as in other 1 million [insert item] schemes.

Regards

[PeaceBlondie]

My brightest students in M4 did not know the second thing about how to use a computer, how to use Google or Wiki, etc. Imagine, ME, teaching near-geniuses in Thailand, how to use a computer! The Thai teachers did not have a clue how to fix the simplest formula mistake in their spreadsheets to enter the academic marks....

Find out who gets the contract, and see how many Mercedes he has the next year.

[TAWP]

Any chance a farang will be contracted as a middle man? I feel like getting a new tv. Or a few thousands of them...

[KireB]

Good initiative!

So far an inspiring start by the new government: the Megaprojects and this one!

Give them a chance.

[JetsetBkk]

First day in the job and talking big.

Has he seen his budget yet?

[sriracha john]

1,000,000 Thai Elite Cards Program = 2700

1,000,000 Cows Program = 17,000

1,000,000 Computers Program = ???

[Plus]

1 mil computers cost quite a lot of money, 4-6 or maybe even 8 billion baht. I believe that's a sizable chunk of the education budget. Are they going to cut salaries and sell schools buildings to finance it?

Kids will have a lot of fun, though, these computers have a crankshaft to start them up.

[Tony Clifton]

1,000,000 Thai Elite Cards Program = 2700

1,000,000 Cows Program = 17,000

1,000,000 Computers Program = ???

Don't forget 45 000 000 tourists spending 70 000 baht per day. (Noppadol)

[thaigene2]

Yes..well now what's better?

A "quiet" and well-educated "civil" establishment that 'quietly' raids the cookie jar for their families via defence purchases or airplane purchases with billions skimmed, or a "loud and obnoxious" bunch that do the same with computers that would, eventually, end up in the hands of kids?

Now before you say it, yes the computers could be crap - but hey, so could the jets, rail cars or military equipment..!!

It's all same-same - -- so get over it. I know where I'd rather see the (partial) money spent! If it ends up in a classroom that's better than an army camp, nes't pas?

[sriracha john]

Swedish jets are "crap"???

What's the military connection to "rail cars"??? :D

[simon43]

Buying these computers is a waste of time if the childrens' teachers are not computer-savvy and able to educate the kids how to use the equipment and useful software, such as spreadsheets, databases etc. I bet these kids will just play computer games... The first priority is to train the teachers.

Years ago (in another life), I was in charge of getting all UK secondary schools connected to high speed (well - ISDN) internet. I argued that a large part of the budget should be spent on training the teachers, who didn't know a browser from a google... Suffice to say, the political kudos of getting the schools connected was deemed far more important and the kids were left to play their online computer games whilst the teachers were left in the dark

Simon

[Plus]

I like how Education Ministry staff greeted the new minister.

One said that it's good that he has background in justice, they have 200 lawsuits for him to clear (i.e. your desk is ready and inbox is full, keep yourself busy and leave education matters for us).

Another played guessing game about his one million computers project. "Oh, I know what he is talking about - it was about low cost laptops. Or maybe he is talking about our current project which is 300 thousand computers only, it would be nice if he can help - we distributed 200 thousand computers already, 100 thousand more to go."

Only Uraiwan, the Labour Minister can top it up - she said that it's her second term in Labour, and lots of staff are depressed to see her return. How's that for honesty.

[Ijustwannateach]

This is an old one- anyone got a link to the thread the last time they announced this?

Oh, and will they provide them with electricity, too?

[geriatrickid]

If he participates in the OLPC program, then he has to commit to 1million. That's the requirement in order to participate. Under Mr. Negroponte's program, the unit costs will drop once the distribution increases. The laptops are viable. Before anyone slams the OLPC program, go check out the info first. http://www.laptopfoundation.org/index.shtml

The design accomodates kids and the absence of instruction. They aren't meant to compete with my Mac book, but are intended to get kids communicating and having fun learning. Mass production started last November and the units are rolling off the assembly lines. They are being used now.

I think what we will see is the skillful use of the Thai outsretched hand and winsome smile as someone politely suggests that donations to some small villages would help jump start the program. No doubt a few corporate foundations with vested interests will help out If I am not mistaken, many of these foundations have set aside seed money to help spread the laptops. The minister aint as crazy as he appears.

[sriracha john]

This is an old one- anyone got a link to the thread the last time they announced this?

Oh, and will they provide them with electricity, too?

Here's a few:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...=142773&hl=

"One Laptop Per Child" Project Costs Up 88%

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...c=94566&hl=

Education Ministry To Scrap One Laptop Per Child Project

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...c=79347&hl=

$100 Laptops To Debut With Thai Kids

And a related grand scheme thread:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...c=46332&hl=

Government To Install 250,000 Computers At Schools

[sriracha john]

Mass production started last November and the units are rolling off the assembly lines. They are being used now.

I think what we will see is the skillful use of the Thai outsretched hand and winsome smile as someone politely suggests that donations to some small villages would help jump start the program.

Not sure about the "rolling off the assembly lines"... perhaps "lurching"? As for donations, some of those who already have aren't very happy

Slow shipments irk buyers of One Laptop Per Child devices

A bid by the One Laptop Per Child Foundation (OLPC) to sell low-cost laptops to Americans has stumbled. Thousands of buyers are still waiting for the $200 computers months after purchasing them.

"I have no confidence that a company that can't find a town in Texas is going to be able to send thousands of laptops to Third World countries," said Marilyn Jones, a 60-year-old retiree in Mason, Texas, who placed two orders under OLPC's Give One Get One program to help the foundation achieve its goal of distributing millions of cheap computers to children in poor countries.

Under the plan, people living in North America paid $400 for two computers - one for themselves, the other to be donated abroad.

In November and December, Jones paid $800 for a total of four computers, including two for her own use. But she said that OLPC employees have acknowledged that neither of her machines has shipped yet. Now Jones has filed for a refund.

- Boston Globe / Feb. 2, 2008

[sriracha john]

India rejected OLPC also... as illustrated by some of the shortcomings

An intractable dilemma inside barebone laptops

Fourteen-year-old Anirban Basu has a new problem at hand. The computer he carries in his school bag hangs up when he tries to download some educative material from a website. A local computer expert has suggested installation of another operating system and increasing the hard disk space — remedies he can ill afford at this stage.

Anirban's case is not an isolated one. A major roadblock before mass adoption of low-price PCs is the poor performance of entry level products, which are being sold with a stress on features such as portability and low price.

The stress on portability may have reduced the weight of the notebook PCs, but it has reduced the size of the screen, too. Indeed, some of the latest notebooks weigh less than a kilogram and come with screens in the 4-7 inches range. Thus, be it the much-publicised XO laptop of the One Laptop Per Child project (which the government rejected recently) or a few of the recently launched notebooks, screen size is a major point of criticism.

- Sify Technology Online (India) / Feb. 7, 2008

[PeaceBlondie]

I am listening to the Who sing the lesson they learned at Woodstock:

WE WON'T BE FOOLED AGAIN!!

What are the professional qualifications of our new Minister of Education? Amateur Thai food chef?

[haltes]

It makes your blood boil everytime a minister of education opens his/her mouth.

Computers for all students are a nice thing if everything for a decent educational system is already in place, they enhance what is already there. They do not act as a substitute for a crap system in the fisrt place or make up for huge deficiencies that already exist.

Why not spend the money increasing teachers salaries that it attracts better quality people to actually do the teaching?

Why not provide smaller classes and hire more teachers?

Why not put together a unified curriculum and testing methodology that means something and that has some actual standards?

There are so many other ways they could spend the money instead of buying a doorstop that will be out of date in 2-3 years time, teaching people real skills they can use for their whole lives (and I hate the cliche of lifelong learning but it IS so true).

Oh well,as long as the laptops come internet ready and run MSN, can look at porn/hello kitty sites, 95% of the kids will be happy.

[soundman]

1,000,000 Thai Elite Cards Program = 2700

1,000,000 Cows Program = 17,000

1,000,000 Computers Program = ???

= at $5.50 commission per unit a stagering $55 mil or B192 mil.

Not a bad days work!

[lannarebirth]

In addition to whatever the computers cost, wouldn't there need to be a nationwide wireless network in order for the students to use them online?

[BigSnake]

Great ideal, keep them off the streets and the internet shop, althorugh bad news for internet cafe good for control of the kids. Way to go Education Minister.

[chownah]

In addition to whatever the computers cost, wouldn't there need to be a nationwide wireless network in order for the students to use them online?

If the unit they are wanting to get is infact the OLPC XO then each computer acts like a wireless router and all units that are within whatever their broadcast range is (probably a matter of metres, not kilometres but I don't know) of another unit will automatically make a connection with that other computer and form a wireless network. That means that while at school all of the computers will be linked to all the others in a local network of some sort and be able to communicate wirelessly. Likewise for a small village I suppose...I guess (but don't know) that it would be possible to build a wireless network of any arbitrary size as long as there was at least one operating computer every xx metres.

I'm not sure on this but I think that if one computer has an internet connection then all the others which are networked with that one will be able to access it also but of course the more people sharing the one connection would have to share it which would slow stuff down....and....I'm not really sure if it works this way or not.

By the way....these computers also come with a small electric generator (either a hand crank, foot pedal, or pull string) which will power the unit .

Chownah

[lannarebirth]

In addition to whatever the computers cost, wouldn't there need to be a nationwide wireless network in order for the students to use them online?

If the unit they are wanting to get is infact the OLPC XO then each computer acts like a wireless router and all units that are within whatever their broadcast range is (probably a matter of metres, not kilometres but I don't know) of another unit will automatically make a connection with that other computer and form a wireless network. That means that while at school all of the computers will be linked to all the others in a local network of some sort and be able to communicate wirelessly. Likewise for a small village I suppose...I guess (but don't know) that it would be possible to build a wireless network of any arbitrary size as long as there was at least one operating computer every xx metres.

I'm not sure on this but I think that if one computer has an internet connection then all the others which are networked with that one will be able to access it also but of course the more people sharing the one connection would have to share it which would slow stuff down....and....I'm not really sure if it works this way or not.

By the way....these computers also come with a small electric generator (either a hand crank, foot pedal, or pull string) which will power the unit .

Chownah

Yes, I've seen them, but they still require some kind of ISP. And wouldn't it defeat the purpose of the WWW if they spent all their time connected to each other, which is something they should be trying to overcome IMO.

[A_Traveller]

The idea is that one XO can act as a conduit for the other mesh clients, thereby proving access to the web, but there's no Ethernet connector.

Regards

[Tony Clifton]

Free screen-saver too!

[chownah]

Good one Tony Clifton!!!!!

Chownah