Thai Govt Slammed For Plan To Provide Computer Tablets To Pathom 1 Kids

[webfact]

Govt slammed for plan to provide tablets to pathom 1 kids

By The Nation

Opposition MPs yesterday grilled the government over its education policies, especially the planned handout of tablets to all students.

"Tablets for children as young as Pathom 1 won't encourage the development of their reading and writing skills," Democrat partylist MP Kanok Wongtrangan said.

He said the tablets would likely hurt the children's eyesight and expose them to many temptations on the Internet.

"Pathom 1 students are around six years old, still too young to know what to avoid on the Internet," Kanok said.

He said the young children could become prone to using the tablets for games as well.

Kanok said he disagreed with handing out free tablets to Pathom 1 students.

"If the government is going to give free tablets to students, do this to Mathayom 1 students. Such devices are appropriate for older students," the opposition MP said.

He also underlined the need to make teachers well prepared to use the tablets for teaching and learning.

"The government must think about training for teachers and Internet access, too," he said.

The implementation, he emphasised, must be carefully planned. He questioned the quality of tablets the government was going to provide given that technology would continue to evolve rapidly.

In Kanok's opinion, the tablet policy was going to cause problems and come with many risks.

"Finally, it will put a burden on the shoulders of society," he said.

Democrat MP Chinnaworn Boonyakiat, who was education minister in the Abhisit administration, said the new government was focusing on free tablets at a time when the country's educational reform called for quality teachers.

"I would like to ask how the new government is going to improve the quality of teachers," he said.

Democrat MP Chuan Leekpai, also a former prime minister, cautioned the new government against scrapping the studentloan programme for children from poor families. "You may introduce other programmes but please don't cancel the programme for cashstrapped students," he said. This programme was introduced under his administration.

Education Minister Worawat Auapinyakul has been talking about the revival of an incomecontingent loan programme for students, which would hand out loans to applicants regardless of their family's financial status.

Chuan said if the studentloan programme for the poor was not retained, some cashstrapped students could lose out on opportunities to study amid the rush of applications from betteroff families who might want to get loans as well.

Another Democrat MP, Prakob Rattanaphan, expressed concern about Worawat's plan to revoke the academicrank system.

The system has encouraged teachers to improve their academic knowledge by offering higher pay for those producing good academic works.

According to Prakob, Worawat is planning to offer higher pay to teachers based on scores given to them by parents.

"If this happens, many teacher will just try to please parents," he said.

Prakob also attacked Worawat for ordering a change of carpets leading to his working room at the Education Ministry.

"At his order, the pink carpet has been removed and replaced with a red one," he said.

Prakob claimed the carpet change cost a few millions of baht. "I think the money could have been better spent elsewhere. The amount is enough to build one new school or give free milk/lunch to students," he said.

Education Ministry permanent secretary Apichart Jeerawut explained that there was budget allocated for the maintenance and renovation of the minister's working room.

"The ongoing renovation is the first major improvement since 1999," he said.

-- The Nation 2011-08-25

[OzMick]

Why would you remove the income test from a student loan's program? I suppose the same reason you remove the oil fund levy on premium unleaded fuel.

[REM]

We call this a cluster f^&*k, but here they call it politics.

[Pib]

Do six years old kids ever drop or break anything? Hope the govt has a robust maintenance/repair/exchange program for the tablets.

[tominbkk]

Do six years old kids ever drop or break anything? Hope the govt has a robust maintenance/repair/exchange program for the tablets.

[jonclark]

"...Worawat is planning to offer higher pay to teachers based on scores given to them by parents"

Sorry but what the <deleted> do most parent know about teaching and education - Maybe the government should extend this idea to offer higher pay to MPs based on scores given to them by Thai Visa members.

[rakman]

Do six years old kids ever drop or break anything? Hope the govt has a robust maintenance/repair/exchange program for the tablets.

I wonder if the tablets are going to be wifi or 3g or both? If just wifi, what do the kids do at home (just an e-book reader?) if no wifi?

Who pays for the internet connection at home or if 3g, who pays?

Could get expensive.

[Macmundi]

The one slamming the government is actually working for Peu Thai knowing that they cannot deliver this empty promise. If more people counter this plan, eventually it will be scrapped. That's what Peu Thai hopes for.

[givenall]

My recommendation to anyone interested to buy a tablet towait till after the government gives the kids tablets. Then you can find a lot ofcheap tablet in night market and JJ market as they try to sell their freebees for some money

[Sateev]

The one slamming the government is actually working for Peu Thai knowing that they cannot deliver this empty promise. If more people counter this plan, eventually it will be scrapped. That's what Peu Thai hopes for.

+1

[rubl]

My recommendation to anyone interested to buy a tablet towait till after the government gives the kids tablets. Then you can find a lot ofcheap tablet in night market and JJ market as they try to sell their freebees for some money

Apart from being a bit dishonest (IMHO), the tablets the government might issue may be of a kind not really looked for by anyone. Also remember the government is talking about the next schoolyear, May 2012. If you are prepared to wait so long, you're not really interested in buying a tablet

Edited August 25, 2011 by rubl

[samurai]

Prakob also attacked Worawat for ordering a change of carpets leading to his working room at the Education Ministry.

"At his order, the pink carpet has been removed and replaced with a red one," he said.

Prakob claimed the carpet change cost a few millions of baht. "I think the money could have been better spent elsewhere. The amount is enough to build one new school or give free milk/lunch to students," he said.

Edu minister clarifies office renovation allegation

As for the new carpet at his office, the minister explained that it cost 168,525 baht and was made to order at the instruction of the ministry made on 3 February 2011 when Mr Chinnaworn Boonyakiat from the Democrat Party was the education minister.

http://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news.php?id=255408250004

[jybkk]

It's sad to see how many Thai politicians (and commentators in various newspaper) seem to miss the point.

Most of them are arguing whether using tablet computers in classrooms can actually be beneficial to students... but Thailand is not even at that point yet.

Schools don't even have the basics. Why would you start to distribute high-tech devices when you don't have the miminum?

When I was teaching in a public school, most of the class didn't have air-con, a few had barely a working fan (except if the teacher brought his own) and anyway electricity was down almost daily. And it was in Bangkok!

There are so many obstacles to overcome before even considering the question of "is it good for the kid" that I don't believe one second it can work.

I'm also astonished at how the opposition misses the point too. Ask who will source, what's the maintenance plan, who will pay for charging the device, who will create the content, who will update it in the device, who will install a proper internet access in the schools... don't argue with stupid unfounded affirmations like "it will damage the eyes of the kids"

[rubl]

Prakob also attacked Worawat for ordering a change of carpets leading to his working room at the Education Ministry.

"At his order, the pink carpet has been removed and replaced with a red one," he said.

Prakob claimed the carpet change cost a few millions of baht. "I think the money could have been better spent elsewhere. The amount is enough to build one new school or give free milk/lunch to students," he said.

Edu minister clarifies office renovation allegation

As for the new carpet at his office, the minister explained that it cost 168,525 baht and was made to order at the instruction of the ministry made on 3 February 2011 when Mr Chinnaworn Boonyakiat from the Democrat Party was the education minister.

http://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news.php?id=255408250004

Very frugal of the outgoing Dem's Minister. Pity his other Dem's collegues didn't know The carpet was probably ordered because of parts of the ceiling leaking.

I must admit the new minister is even more frugal, barely in office and already renovated it using his own money.

BTW have you seen any pigs fly by lately

[samurai]

Prakob also attacked Worawat for ordering a change of carpets leading to his working room at the Education Ministry.

"At his order, the pink carpet has been removed and replaced with a red one," he said.

Prakob claimed the carpet change cost a few millions of baht. "I think the money could have been better spent elsewhere. The amount is enough to build one new school or give free milk/lunch to students," he said.

Edu minister clarifies office renovation allegation

As for the new carpet at his office, the minister explained that it cost 168,525 baht and was made to order at the instruction of the ministry made on 3 February 2011 when Mr Chinnaworn Boonyakiat from the Democrat Party was the education minister.

http://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news.php?id=255408250004

Very frugal of the outgoing Dem's Minister. Pity his other Dem's collegues didn't know The carpet was probably ordered because of parts of the ceiling leaking.

I must admit the new minister is even more frugal, barely in office and already renovated it using his own money.

BTW have you seen any pigs fly by lately

Thats the way to get it done in just a few days or what is your guess how long it would take to repair a leaking ceiling in the building of the education ministry if its done the official bureaucratic way. Probably longer then the current renovation will last to be efficient to hold the water back.

[rubl]

Prakob also attacked Worawat for ordering a change of carpets leading to his working room at the Education Ministry.

"At his order, the pink carpet has been removed and replaced with a red one," he said.

Prakob claimed the carpet change cost a few millions of baht. "I think the money could have been better spent elsewhere. The amount is enough to build one new school or give free milk/lunch to students," he said.

Edu minister clarifies office renovation allegation

As for the new carpet at his office, the minister explained that it cost 168,525 baht and was made to order at the instruction of the ministry made on 3 February 2011 when Mr Chinnaworn Boonyakiat from the Democrat Party was the education minister.

http://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news.php?id=255408250004

Very frugal of the outgoing Dem's Minister. Pity his other Dem's collegues didn't know The carpet was probably ordered because of parts of the ceiling leaking.

I must admit the new minister is even more frugal, barely in office and already renovated it using his own money.

BTW have you seen any pigs fly by lately

Thats the way to get it done in just a few days or what is your guess how long it would take to repair a leaking ceiling in the building of the education ministry if its done the official bureaucratic way. Probably longer then the current renovation will last to be efficient to hold the water back.

The article just said the new Minister used his own money, not who has done the work. I would assume there is some maintenance staff to take care of minor repairs. The leaking probably started in the last two months with all that rain. When the previous Minister ordered the carpet in February as alleged it didn't rain too much.

BTW in most countries there are procedures to be followed regarding repair work, mostly to ensure transparency in bidding processes. Adds a bit of overhead, but that's democracy for you

[Buchholz]

My recommendation to anyone interested to buy a tablet towait till after the government gives the kids tablets. Then you can find a lot ofcheap tablet in night market and JJ market as they try to sell their freebees for some money

Apart from being a bit dishonest (IMHO), the tablets the government might issue may be of a kind not really looked for by anyone.

Do you mean they won't be the Samsung Galaxy Tabs that Yingluck implied they would be during the campaign?

That would be deceitful of them.

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

[MunterHunter]

Here is a funky idea, instead of spending all that money on tablet computers... why not use that money to make education free for all until they reach the age of 15-16?

[Buchholz]

Here is a funky idea, instead of spending all that money on tablet computers... why not use that money to make education free for all until they reach the age of 15-16?

That's already the case.

Well, it used to be, anyway.

As the new Education Minister was saying, the new tablets costs will be taken out of the free school uniform and free textbooks funding...

Or perhaps there can re-visit selling more phallus symbols to make up for the annual six billion baht shortfall

I am less enthusiastic about the tablet scheme now that I know they will spend 10% of the national education budget on it.

Yes, that was the news today. 6 BILLION BAHT per year.

The new Education Minister went on to say that it would come out of the budget that was previously devoted to providing free school uniforms for students as well as free textbooks

The clueless guy EM Worawut, who obviously has never come close to caring for school-aged children, said, "This will not affect students and the overall education program because... uniforms do not need to be changed to new ones every year."

What a moron.

Another gem from the Chief of Educating the Youth of Thailand, "The tablets will not completely replace textbooks. They will act like calculators the help the student to calculate faster."

Education Minister Worawat Ua-apinyakul previously was the genius as Culture Minister, when he came up with idea of producing black magic amulets, including phallus and buffalo-shaped ones, as souvenirs for tourists.

Phallus Symbols And Buffaloes To Attrract More Tourists

[aussiebebe]

You can't blame vote-hungry Thai politicians for this tablet obsession, a couple of schools in the UK and US even have adopted the use of tablets school-wide. I let my 4 year old son play on our ipad2 so I know there are plenty of educational apps, even in Thai, but I still believe tablets have at most only a limited value as a tool in the context of effective teaching. Some apps require letters to be traced, special pens can be bought, at which point you have to question, why not just use real pens and paper? Couple this with the short life-span of tablet batteries, potential for damage and misuse and this really is potentially a sad waste of Thailand's limited educational budget. It's interesting how this trend to adopt tablets is global.

[rubl]

For the new alphabet you really require an iPad or something alike. Remember "A is for Apple"

Edited August 25, 2011 by rubl

[CharlieH]

Wonder if all these millions of tablets will becoming from JAPAN ?

now I wonder why Japan would benefit in that way, did they help anyone recently ??

As said by others here there are far more basic needs in schools throughout like writing books, pencils, and basic necessities like running water and useable bathrooms, drinking water, all better than these tablets that just appeal to the greed in people. Shiny trinkets for the natives is it ?

Edited August 25, 2011 by CharlieH

[OzMick]

Here is a funky idea, instead of spending all that money on tablet computers... why not use that money to make education free for all until they reach the age of 15-16?

Sorry! They are doing exactly the opposite of that, using the pool that was being used for free uniforms and text books for the tablets. That was a Democrat initiative that has to be made ineffective.

[rubl]

Here is a funky idea, instead of spending all that money on tablet computers... why not use that money to make education free for all until they reach the age of 15-16?

Sorry! They are doing exactly the opposite of that, using the pool that was being used for free uniforms and text books for the tablets. That was a Democrat initiative that has to be made ineffective.

This better work otherwise the next school year starts with kids having no tablet, no books, no uniform

[rubl]

Tablets can be really usefull especially in a professional environment.

"Alaska Airlines ditches paper flight manuals for iPads

By Donald Melanson posted May 28th 2011 11:34AM

The iPad has already gotten the go-ahead from the FAA as a replacement for paper flight charts and maps, and now Alaska Airlines has become the first major US airline to hop on board the paperless bandwagon. While it's not quite ready to ditch paper navigation charts just yet (though that is under consideration), the airline has announced that it will be replacing its traditional flight manuals with iPads, which will be loaded up with the GoodReader app and PDFs of 41 different manuals and other materials. According to the airline, that change will result in savings of about 2.4 million pieces of paper, and it says the cost of the project will be offset by fuel savings from the reduced weight, and additional savings that are expected from "fewer back and muscle injuries caused by pilots carrying flight bags," which can weigh up to 50 pounds. Let's just hope those newly lightened flight bags still have room for a charging cable."

http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/28/alaska-airlines-ditches-paper-flight-manuals-for-ipads/

[samjaidee]

A computer connected to the internet with a digital projector would be a much better way to spend the money. That's what I have in my classroom.

It allows me to use any digital resource I can find. I use powerpoint shows on a daily basis.

I'd be lost nowadays, teaching without my computer and projector.

The government could then produce interactive CD ROMs of each subject for use in the classroom.

[drdoom6996]

We call this a cluster f^&*k, but here they call it politics.

Chinese Fire Drill, but in this case maybe Taksin Fire Drill.

[sirchai]

Do six years old kids ever drop or break anything? Hope the govt has a robust maintenance/repair/exchange program for the tablets.

He said the young children could become prone to using the tablets for games as well.

What else would a six year old do?

[MoonRiverOasis]

My recommendation to anyone interested to buy a tablet towait till after the government gives the kids tablets. Then you can find a lot ofcheap tablet in night market and JJ market as they try to sell their freebees for some money

Apart from being a bit dishonest (IMHO), the tablets the government might issue may be of a kind not really looked for by anyone.

Do you mean they won't be the Samsung Galaxy Tabs that Yingluck implied they would be during the campaign?

That would be deceitful of them.

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.co...r4284809594.jpg

The budget for said "tablets" is 3,000 Baht each, so factoring in "business expenses" that could mean something as low as 800-1500 cost - So what these kids will be getting is Chinese kindle reader clones. All this talk of internet access, wifi, games, internet porn etc is completely misguided

But when the words "tablet computer" instantly conjure up images of iPad2, and the PM (well, back when it was PM-to-be) holds up an old 7" Galaxy tab, it's not hard to see why people get overly excited

[Moonrakers]

The budget for said "tablets" is 3,000 Baht each, so factoring in "business expenses" that could mean something as low as 800-1500 cost - So what these kids will be getting is Chinese kindle reader clones. All this talk of internet access, wifi, games, internet porn etc is completely misguided

But when the words "tablet computer" instantly conjure up images of iPad2, and the PM (well, back when it was PM-to-be) holds up an old 7" Galaxy tab, it's not hard to see why people get overly excited

So they'll basically just be getting something they can read from, just like books................