Pheu Thai Party Offers Tablets To Thai Students

[TAWP]

So no educational downside......thanks guys.......

I don't think you understand the problem.

Or are you proposing we should cheer all proposals that have 'no education downside'?

You are going to pay for that?

How about instead aiming for proposals that have an 'education upside'?

No? Aiming too high?

The point made with that comment was re-enforcing the fact that despite the criticism there was no educational downside.........if you cannot even understand that this statement does not in anyway suggest that there is no upside........and that indeed I have pointed out in many posts the upside......then I think I am not the one with a problem of 'understanding'

I would give you a hanky but I doubt you understand the purpose of it.

It was a pointy comment since you are being unreasonably obtuse.

If you cannot understand tax-money is an finite amount and throwing tables on kids isn't the right priority of the money assigned then I am not sure what we can say that would get the point across.

[473geo]

It is not difficult to understand their are financial constraints, and there is a lobby of opinion that the money could be spent elsewhere in education..........

Unfortunately I would estimate that this type of thinking, and the inability to accept change, has driven the education system right up to the crossroads it now faces........

I just hope for the sake of the Thai students they get practical assistance, as opposed to a load of administrators assessing teacher performance in order for the teachers to be confident they are receiving the salary they deserve.......

But I digress.......the tablet is an enabler I think there are benefits for the pupils.......however I will not futher try to change the course of the river of thought in Tvisa

Thanks for the discussion all.......

[Foggy Bottom]

Several years back one education minister bought computers for all schools. Nevermind that many schools at the time (and probably still some) had no electricity.

..... and that Education Minister was Thaksin, and the computers were supplied by the Shin Computer Corporation, which was initially founded and funded to provide every police station with computers ... immediately after Thaksin had resigned from the police force and stepped into politics in the role of junior minister responsible for the police.

[jdinasia]

I would give you a hanky but I doubt you understand the purpose of it.

It was a pointy comment since you are being unreasonably obtuse.

If you cannot understand tax-money is an finite amount and throwing tables on kids isn't the right priority of the money assigned then I am not sure what we can say that would get the point across.

Which is of course, the educational "downside". The education budget is not unlimited, a 6 y/o with a tablet PC (particularly in light of the past project proposed by this same party (well trt-ppp-ptp) was so ill planned. The educational downsides could be various even if the basic idea had merit (this one doesn't), such as a kid loses it and parents have to pay for a new one, enough breakage or hardware/software issues that mean a significant percentage in each classroom can't participate, access issues when not at school (only point in buying a tablet is for portability!) etc etc etc etc But, hey! Thaksin thinks and PTP delivers!

[Buchholz]

Let's re-visit Apple Store (Thailand) to add onto our original ฿ 16,900.00

iPad AppleCare Protection Plan

Extend your technical support and hardware coverage for two years from the original purchase date of your iPad with the AppleCare Protection Plan. You get direct access to Apple’s own experts for questions and advice about using your iPad. And you get repair or replacement service — including parts and labor — on your iPad, its battery, and included accessories. (For further details, read terms and conditions).

Just ฿ 2,800.00 — Simply add the AppleCare Protection Plan to your order after selecting your iPad.

oh yes, and multiply by 8 million.

Why do you keep using the Apple price lists. At no point did they say these would be Apple tablets.

Look on alibaba and you'll see the sort of tablets they're talking about.

A last-gen mobile phone processor,

Insufficient memory (the lowest memory on an ipad is 16Gb. These tend to be 1-4Gb),

Android (which is fine, but probably not the latest version as the processor is too slow),

A resistive touch screen (which will, if they're writing reports on it, give the kids blisters on their typing finger. After all, you can't touch type on a tablet...)

This is what they have in mind (a lot closer to my iPad examples)...

they cost € 690

http://asiabizz.com/2991/samsung-galaxy-tab-to-be-available-from-mid-september-for-e690/

Yingluck Shinawatra, the sister of toppled former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra and the prime ministerial candidate for the country's biggest opposition Puea Thai party, holds up a Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet computer as she speaks to supporters in Bangkok June 18, 2011. Thais will go to the polls on July 3 for a general election. Yingluck was speaking about using tablets for use in schools as part of her plans if she is elected.

REUTERS

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/photo//110618/481/urn_publicid_ap_org_e4db49d84cd141c7adcd6ccbf3676e4d/#photoViewer=/110618/ids_photos_wl/r4284809594.jpg

[lannarebirth]

So no educational downside......thanks guys.......

Except for wasting even more time online playing video games. Nothing wrong with PC's or Laptops' or Tablets per se, but you need to tie it to educational goals. That was never a priority of Thaksin's if you'll remember back.

[MrChangers]

Who pays the monkeys to write this appalling crap? We start off with education and i-pads then hey presto change story by paragraph 2. The Nation has to be one of the worst written and edited papers going.

Only worrying thing is the monkeys here are stating their qualified opinions on the subject .....

Shop is shutting have a free banana as you leave.

Edited June 18, 2011 by MrChangers

[AleG]

Let's re-visit Apple Store (Thailand) to add onto our original ฿ 16,900.00

iPad AppleCare Protection Plan

Extend your technical support and hardware coverage for two years from the original purchase date of your iPad with the AppleCare Protection Plan. You get direct access to Apples own experts for questions and advice about using your iPad. And you get repair or replacement service including parts and labor on your iPad, its battery, and included accessories. (For further details, read terms and conditions).

Just ฿ 2,800.00 Simply add the AppleCare Protection Plan to your order after selecting your iPad.

oh yes, and multiply by 8 million.

Why do you keep using the Apple price lists. At no point did they say these would be Apple tablets.

Look on alibaba and you'll see the sort of tablets they're talking about.

A last-gen mobile phone processor,

Insufficient memory (the lowest memory on an ipad is 16Gb. These tend to be 1-4Gb),

Android (which is fine, but probably not the latest version as the processor is too slow),

A resistive touch screen (which will, if they're writing reports on it, give the kids blisters on their typing finger. After all, you can't touch type on a tablet...)

This is what they have in mind (a lot closer to my iPad examples)...

they cost € 690

http://asiabizz.com/2991/samsung-galaxy-tab-to-be-available-from-mid-september-for-e690/

Yingluck Shinawatra, the sister of toppled former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra and the prime ministerial candidate for the country's biggest opposition Puea Thai party, holds up a Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet computer as she speaks to supporters in Bangkok June 18, 2011. Thais will go to the polls on July 3 for a general election. Yingluck was speaking about using tablets for use in schools as part of her plans if she is elected.

REUTERS

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/photo//110618/481/urn_publicid_ap_org_e4db49d84cd141c7adcd6ccbf3676e4d/#photoViewer=/110618/ids_photos_wl/r4284809594.jpg

That's the tablet being proposed?

It's doomed to failure then; I remember listening to a talk by Nicholas Negroponte (the man that got the ball rolling with the One Computer Per Child project) One of the important points that he remarked was that the computers they were building were distinctly educational devices, unique in appearance and use. That, he said, would discourage stealing or reselling, in the same way that in the US there are zero postal trucks stolen every year; he actually stressed this point as one of the reasons the idea could be workable.

If you replace a unique educational device by a regular tablet then there's going to be a huge problem with stolen or sold tablets, since they would be in appearance and functionality indistinguishable from something you can find at a store.

Having said that, the photo suggest to me Ms. Yingluck is offering some shiny, desirable gadget to entice voters, education be darned.

Having said that the one computer per child initiative is an excellent one, if implemented right, which I very much doubt the PTP would do if as I said, right from the start they choose.

[MrChangers]

one tablet solves all

[Buchholz]

Let's re-visit Apple Store (Thailand) to add onto our original ฿ 16,900.00

iPad AppleCare Protection Plan

Extend your technical support and hardware coverage for two years from the original purchase date of your iPad with the AppleCare Protection Plan. You get direct access to Apple’s own experts for questions and advice about using your iPad. And you get repair or replacement service — including parts and labor — on your iPad, its battery, and included accessories. (For further details, read terms and conditions).

Just ฿ 2,800.00 — Simply add the AppleCare Protection Plan to your order after selecting your iPad.

oh yes, and multiply by 8 million.

Why do you keep using the Apple price lists. At no point did they say these would be Apple tablets.

Look on alibaba and you'll see the sort of tablets they're talking about.

A last-gen mobile phone processor,

Insufficient memory (the lowest memory on an ipad is 16Gb. These tend to be 1-4Gb),

Android (which is fine, but probably not the latest version as the processor is too slow),

A resistive touch screen (which will, if they're writing reports on it, give the kids blisters on their typing finger. After all, you can't touch type on a tablet...)

This is what they have in mind (a lot closer to my iPad examples)...

they cost € 690

http://asiabizz.com/2991/samsung-galaxy-tab-to-be-available-from-mid-september-for-e690/

Yingluck Shinawatra, the sister of toppled former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra and the prime ministerial candidate for the country's biggest opposition Puea Thai party, holds up a Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet computer as she speaks to supporters in Bangkok June 18, 2011. Thais will go to the polls on July 3 for a general election. Yingluck was speaking about using tablets for use in schools as part of her plans if she is elected.

REUTERS

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/photo//110618/481/urn_publicid_ap_org_e4db49d84cd141c7adcd6ccbf3676e4d/#photoViewer=/110618/ids_photos_wl/r4284809594.jpg

That's the tablet being proposed?

It's doomed to failure then; I remember listening to a talk by Nicholas Negroponte (the man that got the ball rolling with the One Computer Per Child project) One of the important points that he remarked was that the computers they were building were distinctly educational devices, unique in appearance and use. That, he said, would discourage stealing or reselling, in the same way that in the US there are zero postal trucks stolen every year; he actually stressed this point as one of the reasons the idea could be workable.

If you replace a unique educational device by a regular tablet then there's going to be a huge problem with stolen or sold tablets, since they would be in appearance and functionality indistinguishable from something you can find at a store.

Having said that, the photo suggest to me Ms. Yingluck is offering some shiny, desirable gadget to entice voters, education be darned.

Having said that the one computer per child initiative is an excellent one, if implemented right, which I very much doubt the PTP would do if as I said, right from the start they choose.

Yes, they never intended for a full-on educational usage of an inexpensive computer-base project developed by locals.

They were just going to latch on to whatever shiny new ready-made instrument came along that they could purchase for an exorbitant amount, which is why I kept referencing iPad as the vehicle to be used.

Yingluck just confirmed my hunches.

.

Edited June 18, 2011 by Buchholz

[themockrat]

Are you guys fighting about whether it's right or wrong that students get free tablets? It's free. And it may just help them. If teachers don't want them used in class, it'll be up to them, but please don't fight about people getting things for free that may help their education. That's just silly.

[Buchholz]

^ nothing is free, or at least there's no news that Samsung is donating 8 million of their Galaxy Tab tablet computers to Thailand.

It has to do with what is the best way of improving education in Thailand with limited resources.

It has to do with setting priorities in that endeavor.

It has to do with not allowing a transient publicity stunt sap those resources that results in no demonstrable improvement.

[whybother]

Are you guys fighting about whether it's right or wrong that students get free tablets? It's free. And it may just help them. If teachers don't want them used in class, it'll be up to them, but please don't fight about people getting things for free that may help their education. That's just silly.

It's definitely wrong for the government to spend so much money on tablet computers if they don't have a plan to use them.

[ianbaggie]

Are you guys fighting about whether it's right or wrong that students get free tablets? It's free. And it may just help them. If teachers don't want them used in class, it'll be up to them, but please don't fight about people getting things for free that may help their education. That's just silly.

Take a tablet and go lie down

[TAWP]

Are you guys fighting about whether it's right or wrong that students get free tablets? It's free. And it may just help them. If teachers don't want them used in class, it'll be up to them, but please don't fight about people getting things for free that may help their education. That's just silly.

A tablet isn't a computer, it is an oversized smart-phone.

It isn't like the kids will ever learn proper finger-settings on a tablet so apart from sliding between a couple of screens of apps and playing Angry Birds, what is it they will learn from using it?

[themockrat]

They're more likely to get education from a handheld device than from a teacher. If you've looked at some of the books being used at universities across Thailand, you'll know what I'm talking about. It's stuff that I've had in probably 10th grade.

With a handheld device, they might just get access to news from outside of Thailand, including a glimpse on how politics works elsewhere and that democracy is more than just calling yourself a Democrat. They could use applications to learn English or other languages. Sure, they will play Angry Birds. But some of them might just wonder how the Angry Birds game works and find out how to develop their own games or applications, which then could make them more money than standing as a cashier in a 7-Eleven all month.

I'd rather have Puea Thai give tablets to students than the Democrats wasting millions of Baht in the ever-changing egg-pricing scheme, which tells vendors to sell eggs by their weight and forces them to use machines that they can't even afford to purchase.

[ginjag]

They're more likely to get education from a handheld device than from a teacher. If you've looked at some of the books being used at universities across Thailand, you'll know what I'm talking about. It's stuff that I've had in probably 10th grade.

With a handheld device, they might just get access to news from outside of Thailand, including a glimpse on how politics works elsewhere and that democracy is more than just calling yourself a Democrat. They could use applications to learn English or other languages. Sure, they will play Angry Birds. But some of them might just wonder how the Angry Birds game works and find out how to develop their own games or applications, which then could make them more money than standing as a cashier in a 7-Eleven all month.

I'd rather have Puea Thai give tablets to students than the Democrats wasting millions of Baht in the ever-changing egg-pricing scheme, which tells vendors to sell eggs by their weight and forces them to use machines that they can't even afford to purchase.

If I ask Tesco for a kilo of eggs they would think I had a tile loose, what bleeding machines will they have to purchase, and who is responsible to order them to do just that. The market traders here are a mob not to be told what to do. they control the town council boss, any probs then they rally at the provincial office and refuse to pay their monthly rents, back on topic, instead of giving election favours, to help students here would be to introduce GEOGRAPHY to the class.

[TAWP]

With a handheld device, they might just get access to news from outside of Thailand, including a glimpse on how politics works elsewhere and that democracy is more than just calling yourself a Democrat. They could use applications to learn English or other languages. Sure, they will play Angry Birds. But some of them might just wonder how the Angry Birds game works and find out how to develop their own games or applications, which then could make them more money than standing as a cashier in a 7-Eleven all month.

Angry Bird is released to PC too.

And on a PC you could actually learn how it was created - and create a game of your own.

No tablet supports this.

(Which you would know if you had any idea at all about the devices or their intended usage.)

A 'ugly' learning-PC would be much better than a shiny, over-priced, tablet.

[Buchholz]

I'd rather have Puea Thai give tablets to students than the Democrats wasting millions of Baht

The Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet computer program will run into the Billions (with a capital B ) also known as 1,000 million.

.

Edited June 19, 2011 by Buchholz

[Buchholz]

To further enumerate the above, the news now brings word that the Pheu Thai Party is proposing their favorite number (1,000,000) as the target number for the procurement of these Samsung's.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/2011/06/20/national/Pheu-Thais-risky-one-upmanship-30158219.html

As earlier price noted, that's 690,000,000 Euros (today's value = 29,771,774,368.30 Baht).

Plus infrastructure, training, insurance, etc.

[whybother]

To further enumerate the above, the news now brings word that the Pheu Thai Party is proposing their favorite number (1,000,000) as the target number for the procurement of these Samsung's.

http://www.nationmul...p-30158219.html

As earlier price noted, that's 690,000,000 Euros (today's value = 29,771,774,368.30 Baht).

Plus infrastructure, training, insurance, etc.

Weren't they saying that they were getting them for 4,000 baht? How are they getting the price down from 30,000?

Also, given that in a year, they've made only 2 million (actually sold less than that), there is going to be quite a shortage while PTP take up all the stock.

[virtualtraveller]

its ridiculous ideas like this that demonstrate how far our political parties still have to go to be taken seriously if we had a serious electorate, considering alot of families don't have access to a computer, let alone internet, broadband penetration in the country is less than 10%, 3G will never happen, and many that need the boost still can't afford internet, this is just a gimmick that wasn't thought out well, and the money could be better spent on training better teachers. Giving a kid a tablet wont make them learn more or better or be smarter, they will get hacked so that they can download pirated games and the nation can produce a lot of world champ gamers. Says alot about Peua Thai's short sighted mentality I'm afraid, but they know that it will appease the voters.

[jayboy]

I'd rather have Puea Thai give tablets to students than the Democrats wasting millions of Baht

The Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet computer program will run into the Billions (with a capital B ) also known as 1,000 million.

.

My understanding is that educationalists believe this is in principle a good idea.The legitimate question relates to cost and impact.There's no suggestion that Samsung Galaxy Tabs will be used other than Yingluck was brandishing one as an example.The PTP spokesman (on MCOT TV) advised relatively low end but servicable units would be purchased in bulk from China at a cost of Bt 4000 each on favourable financing terms.

So it seems Buchholz's comments are ill informed speculation.

[Ricardo]

one tablet solves all

Nice one !

Are you guys fighting about whether it's right or wrong that students get free tablets? It's free. And it may just help them. If teachers don't want them used in class, it'll be up to them, but please don't fight about people getting things for free that may help their education. That's just silly.

My own (Thai & school-age) kids were unhappy to learn from me, that they won't be getting one anyway, because they're not in Primary-grade & they attend an international-school. But I got to give them Daddy's little talk, about how politicians promises tend to melt in the sun, in the 'cold light of day' after the elections.

But hey, it's a wonderful promise, shame about the 'delivery' later-on, after the election. Maybe DL will buy all the excluded-kids one, out of his own pocket, once he's got his amnesty & 'his' money back ? Or perhaps not.

I advised them not to hold their breath.

[jdinasia]

one tablet solves all

Nice one !

Are you guys fighting about whether it's right or wrong that students get free tablets? It's free. And it may just help them. If teachers don't want them used in class, it'll be up to them, but please don't fight about people getting things for free that may help their education. That's just silly.

My own (Thai & school-age) kids were unhappy to learn from me, that they won't be getting one anyway, because they're not in Primary-grade & they attend an international-school. But I got to give them Daddy's little talk, about how politicians promises tend to melt in the sun, in the 'cold light of day' after the elections.

But hey, it's a wonderful promise, shame about the 'delivery' later-on, after the election. Maybe DL will buy all the excluded-kids one, out of his own pocket, once he's got his amnesty & 'his' money back ? Or perhaps not.

I advised them not to hold their breath.

Nothing "Free" about them anyways ....It's taxpayer cash for a poorly considered project that will not increase the scholastic ability of the students. The good news for your kids Ricardo, is that there should be 990,000 of them for sale cheap about a week after they are distributed

[AleG]

Nothing "Free" about them anyways ....It's taxpayer cash for a poorly considered project that will not increase the scholastic ability of the students. The good news for your kids Ricardo, is that there should be 990,000 of them for sale cheap about a week after they are distributed

Of course, when talking about taxes going to be spent on this, let's keep in mind PTP other idea for helping the poor, reducing corporate tax from 30 to 20 per cent.

[philw]

Are you guys fighting about whether it's right or wrong that students get free tablets? It's free. And it may just help them. If teachers don't want them used in class, it'll be up to them, but please don't fight about people getting things for free that may help their education. That's just silly.

It's definitely wrong for the government to spend so much money on tablet computers if they don't have a plan to use them.

Likewise submarines, aircraft carriers, APC's and high tech fighter aircraft then ??

[jdinasia]

Are you guys fighting about whether it's right or wrong that students get free tablets? It's free. And it may just help them. If teachers don't want them used in class, it'll be up to them, but please don't fight about people getting things for free that may help their education. That's just silly.

It's definitely wrong for the government to spend so much money on tablet computers if they don't have a plan to use them.

Likewise submarines, aircraft carriers, APC's and high tech fighter aircraft then ??

APC's and Jets are very useful ... but I can't see much of a use for subs and carriers.

[whybother]

Are you guys fighting about whether it's right or wrong that students get free tablets? It's free. And it may just help them. If teachers don't want them used in class, it'll be up to them, but please don't fight about people getting things for free that may help their education. That's just silly.

It's definitely wrong for the government to spend so much money on tablet computers if they don't have a plan to use them.

Likewise submarines, aircraft carriers, APC's and high tech fighter aircraft then ??

The aircraft carrier was launched in 1996 and hasn't been used to it's full potential because of the Asian Financial crisis.

The carrier is equipped with an air group of V/STOL aircraft and helicopters, and was intended for patrols and force projection in Thai waters, disaster relief, and amphibious warfare support. However, a lack of funding brought on by the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis means that the carrier has spent much of her career docked at the Sattahip naval base.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTMS_Chakri_Naruebet

The submarines haven't been approved, have they?

What's wrong with having APC's and fighter aircraft to protect the country?

Edited June 20, 2011 by whybother

[jdinasia]

They did use the carrier to evacuate people from islands suffering from flooding in the South in the last few months .... and I am sure the tablets will make good door stops once they mess up