One Computer For Every 10 Students

[george]

One computer for every 10 students

BANGKOK: -- The Education Ministry will use part of its Bt45.38 billion share of the government's Thai Khem Khaeng (Strong Thailand) scheme to provide schools one computer for every 10 students.

"Currently, the ratio is one computer per 40 students on average," Education Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said yesterday.

The ministry will spend Bt7.94 billion on computers, Internet access and E-teaching materials, while Bt5.46 billion will be aimed at upgrading school standards, for example, by improving the teacher-student ratio, he said during a television programme.

The ministry will strive to ensure that all 32,000 schools across the country offer functioning libraries with e-books, a nice atmosphere and good librarians.

Some Bt6.58 billion will go directly to the vocational-education sector for modernising infrastructure and improving human resources, while Bt6.98 billion has been promised for teacher development.

The ministry's Educational Management Education Office will separately receive Bt2.96 billion for instilling children with Thai pride.

Students will gain a sense of identity through the promotion of ethics, sufficiency economy, Thai language, the history of Thailand, Thai music, Thai arts, Thai sports, Thai culture and the constitutional monarchy.

Educational support systems have been earmarked Bt1.33 billion.

"We will have a Tutor Channel to ensure educational opportunities for all," Jurin said.

Tutorial sessions will be broadcast every Saturday via Channel 11, many cable TV stations as well as the Vocational Education Commission's R-Radio station.

"This means children in remote areas will have access to tutorials just like urban children," he said.

The project to develop an information-technology network for educational development, or UniNet, will get Bt5.17 billion so distance-learning programmes will be more viable and practical.

The ministry plans to start implementing all key projects under the Strong Thailand scheme this month, he added.

Somkiat Chobphol, deputy secretary-general of the Basic Education Commission, said the scheme would devote Bt722 million to eradicating illiteracy among primary students within three years.

A nationwide test showed that up to 4.18 per cent of third graders could not read and 5.81 per cent could not write.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said his government had already announced the promotion of reading as a national priority.

"We are determined to encourage a love for reading because reading is a key skill for lifelong learning," he said.

-- The Nation 2009-09-07

[stumonster]

"We are determined to encourage a love for reading because reading is a key skill for lifelong learning,"

so true

Reading begets comphrehension , which is essential for learning

add logic and they will have the basics

[elkangorito]

A complete joke!

Didn't that dictator Thaksin promise something like this (maybe laptops...can't remember)?

Unless the students are completely monitored whilst using said computers, they will do nothing but play games or use "Hi 5".

Also, the typical Thai IT departments have little to no idea about preventing malicious computer attacks (this is true at my place of work), thus rendering many computers inoperable after a short time.

Another case of "we are better than we think we actually are" OR TIT...whichever comes first.

[smallprawn]

"We are determined to encourage a love for reading because reading is a key skill for lifelong learning,"

so true

Reading begets comphrehension , which is essential for learning

add logic and they will have the basics

''We are detarmined to encourage a love for reading beacause reading is a key skill for lifelong learning''?

Not shit Abhisit.. really? sip out of sip and glad to have you on board. Where might we be without you?

Basic logic would suggest 10 pc's per student will equal 10 backsheesh payments per pc to those fortunate enough to land the contract. Government stumped up the money and therefore has no question to answer?

Paying Lip Service is one thing but if any government is serious about the benefits of reading skills perhaps the first move might be focus on teachers, teaching meathods, curiculums and the current levels of illiteracy that hold the population back.

Maybe books and qualified teachers would be a good start?

Chuck some money at it, give them all a lap top, job done. Although Im sure the inentions are good, im not sure wheather to laugh or cry.

[endure]

At least it's better than sending NE1000 NICs to Ajahn Taweesak at NECTEC

[bannork]

"We are determined to encourage a love for reading because reading is a key skill for lifelong learning,"

so true

Reading begets comphrehension , which is essential for learning

add logic and they will have the basics

''We are detarmined to encourage a love for reading beacause reading is a key skill for lifelong learning''?

Not shit Abhisit.. really? sip out of sip and glad to have you on board. Where might we be without you?

Basic logic would suggest 10 pc's per student will equal 10 backsheesh payments per pc to those fortunate enough to land the contract. Government stumped up the money and therefore has no question to answer?

Paying Lip Service is one thing but if any government is serious about the benefits of reading skills perhaps the first move might be focus on teachers, teaching meathods, curiculums and the current levels of illiteracy that hold the population back.

Maybe books and qualified teachers would be a good start?

Chuck some money at it, give them all a lap top, job done. Although Im sure the inentions are good, im not sure wheather to laugh or cry.

There's 2 budgets in the Education Ministry, one for equipment and one for personnel. this is obviously the former.

The latter is coming very soon, teacher reform, every teacher will have to undergo a further teacher training course to update their teaching methods.

The tutor channel on NBT is also a good initiative, giving every child a chance to listen to good teachers, plus it gives the kids an opportunity to give their opinions to the Minister.

[MHM]

One computer for every 10 students? Seems like a good swap

[stumonster]

Not shit Abhisit.. really? sip out of sip and glad to have you on board. Where might we be without you?

Basic logic would suggest 10 pc's per student will equal 10 backsheesh payments per pc to those fortunate enough to land the contract. Government stumped up the money and therefore has no question to answer?

I take it you are not taking issue with Education Minister Jurin Laksanawisit because you have an agenda to push , or is it you just lack comprehension skills ?

[cloudhopper]

One computer for every 10 students

The ministry's Educational Management Education Office will separately receive Bt2.96 billion for instilling children with Thai pride.

Students will gain a sense of identity through the promotion of ethics, sufficiency economy, Thai language, the history of Thailand, Thai music, Thai arts, Thai sports, Thai culture and the constitutional monarchy.

Much more important than cultivating independent creative and critical thinking, apparently.

[bkkjames]

Why not just conduct classes at the Video Games shops? The kids are there all the time anyway and seems to me that they already have enough computers to go around.

[hammered]

It is good to have an education minister who actually thinks about education for once although I dont necesaarily agree with some of these statements

Next up please take on the university rectors and their idiotic admission test which massivley advantages the wealthy and makes previous tests seem fair. Oh and do something about the tutor schoolization of Thai education that is linked to the admission system.

There is so much to do. It really should be area where poltical differences are put aside and consensus is agreed whoever is in power. This is about the whole future of the country

[Payboy]

So many computers, so many computer games and porn sites, so little time - sigh!

[johnnort]

The ministry's Educational Management Education Office will separately receive Bt2.96 billion for instilling children with Thai pride.

Students will gain a sense of identity through the promotion of ethics, sufficiency economy, Thai language, the history of Thailand, Thai music, Thai arts, Thai sports, Thai culture and the constitutional monarchy.

Indoctrination by any other name. The bane of Thailand right now.

Computers???? Give them books and writing paper and pencils and teachers and school meals and and and. Forget the dam computers.

[hmj]

"The Education Ministry will use part of its Bt45.38 billion share of the government's Thai Khem Khaeng (Strong Thailand) scheme to provide schools one computer for every 10 students."

My answer to above statement can be found on following website:

http://laptop.org/en/

This is the "One-Child-One-Laptop" project set up by Nicholas Negroponte, the founder of the MIT Media Lab.

The Education Ministry can provide one laptop for each child, but .... (Quoting Monty Python: "Wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more say no more."

[Chunkton]

Reminds me of Australia at the moment. The current government at the election promised an education revolution, what we got was an new primary school hall built at every primary school with large billboards proclaiming that the government had paid for it. By the way people vote at primary schools in Australia just near those big billboards. Mind you there are plenty of excited idiots that have been conned this is a good thing, oh to have the serenity and lack of doubt with a mind unchallenged by actual cognitive thought.

No revolution, just a cynical political stunt paid for by the long suffering tax payers to benefit politician re-election. So how is giving a few computers here that different, no revolution either just spin for the government to try and win some votes. They are all pathetic parasites and Thailand is no worse, in fact the west is probably worse.