Tablet PC Project Under Pressure: Thailand

[Bagwan]

My two penny worth has already been amply stated in the preceeding posts. I am however wondering why parents cannot buy tablets from their income. Wasn't everybody going to be rich after the first 6 months of this Government? Seems the only richness was the hairy fairy promises made to the ignorant and gullible.

A man and his wife who are rabid supporters of Mr. T told me that after the election everybody would be equal. I replied that the UK hasn't managed that yet - and is very unlikely it will ever happen there, so that they had no chance.

[pastitche]

Working at a Thai primary school for a while made me understand how stupid the idea is, but wasn't it a promise of Yingluck's red shirt policy?

Prathom one kids are usually six years old, their command in Thai's pretty bad. Their English even worse. Our Thai teachers aren't very familiar with technology anyways. But which programs should the kids use to learn effective? Did they think about charging empty batteries?

Even with an experienced teacher who'd know how to work with such a wonderful tablet PC, made in India or China, it would never work out with 40 + kids in a class to use the same program.

You don't need to have a degree in Astra Physics to understand the problematic and stupidity.............

You are rite You don't need to have a degree in Astra Physics to understand the problematic.

But a degree in stupidity is a big asset in laying out this idiotic program.

What exactly is Astra Physics? What rite does it involve, deflowering virgins, sacrificing the first-born? Finding a virgin could be a "problematic" or even just a problem in some of the popular areas of Thailand. Maybe astrophysics has the answer for those without your big asset - a degree in stupidity

Edited January 23, 2012 by pastitche

[Old Man River]

My two penny worth has already been amply stated in the preceeding posts. I am however wondering why parents cannot buy tablets from their income. Wasn't everybody going to be rich after the first 6 months of this Government? Seems the only richness was the hairy fairy promises made to the ignorant and gullible.

A man and his wife who are rabid supporters of Mr. T told me that after the election everybody would be equal. I replied that the UK hasn't managed that yet - and is very unlikely it will ever happen there, so that they had no chance.

In politics you can say what you want and when you get elected, do your best to eventually do what you said you were going to do if it is in your best interest at the time. In this, this government is no different from the last (which I support for reasons we are not allowed to discuss). Globally, this is the game of politics and these guys have been educated where we come from.

[scorecard]

2000 Thai government schools without any electricity serving their facilities???

I was going to say "shocking." But then I reconsidered, and thought "surprising."

But then, having lived here for some years now, I finally concluded.... "sadly predictable."

Another point, surely it will be necessary to ensure that all the tablets (in one class group) have all the updates to whatever textbook the teach is using.

Sorry, but I just can't see that the updates will be properly coordinated, especially when many (as already stated) of the teachers are not IT literate (and Thailand does have massive numbers of teachers in the upper rather than lower age groups).

So the result, teacher says page 25, starts reading then half the kids say 'but teacher that's not on page 25 on my tablet', then again maybe the kids are frightened to speak up and they just make out they are reading the correct words. And then they get confused about homework assignments, etc.

And we have those who say tablets will fix everything and take education forward!

[siampolee]

Talking with the head teacher at the village in Surin where we have our farm and I remarked that there is no internet service available in the area and how did he cope with the satellite service internet, the dish at the school being enormous and was spoken about as the panacea for all shortcomings when it was installed.

The head teacher fell about laughing and said It never has worked nor ever will, besides as he said what can we do without computers the six we have are all non functioning despite many requests to have them repaired or replaced.

He actually goes to Surin city and downloads material which he then presents using his own laptop and a projector to assist in the students learning. The man is indeed a dedicated teacher and all credit to him the standard of education of the students is very good and achieved without threats or violence.

The tablet plan is and was no more than a carrot dangled before the donkey, those involved in the eventual supply of the items will no doubt make a large sum of money as suppliers or , ''facilitators." of the deals

Edited January 23, 2012 by siampolee

[GentlemanJim]

I think the time has come to put the hand up and say to the Thai citizens something along the lines of:

"we underestimated the size of the problem and we need a full feasibility study, likely to last 12 months before we can even consider the pre training and procurement phase. If we do not do this we are likely to completely waste several billion of tax payers money and traditional education methods will suffer dramatically."

I am truly shocked that 2000 schools are apparently without electricity. It places Thailand firmly in the third world with the lowest on the scale in Africa. I have heard many things that damage Thailand's reputation with other nations, such as protests, graft, lack of emergency and contingency planning, but for me personally this is the worst possible indictment on the reputation of a nation that is trying to establish itself in the international community.

This has me so concerned that as a parent of a young child being educated in this country, I am penning a letter to Khun Yingluck tonight.

I like Pastitche am also deeply concerned that a teacher refers to 'Astra Physics" and uses the word 'rite' instead of 'right'. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, I can only conclude he must be half Cockney half New Yorker.

[KKK]

Just like every other election campaign promise this one too looks as if it is about to bite the dust and not happen. What a load of wriggling worms this government is......lies, lies and more lies

[PoodMaiDai]

More than 2,000 schools don't have electricity?

Isn't that where the immediate priority lies?

I wonder how many don't have either a LAN or WiFi?

This project is unreal.

This.

The tablet project is a farce. I doubt it will ever happen anyway.

[MaiChai]

There is a fundamental problem here for the government: 3400 baht per tablet is not going to leave any graft money. That is why it probably isn't moving? Lets face it, you are not going to get much of a tablet for 3400 baht. 3000 baht will give you a crappy resistive technology 7" Andriod tablet without much performance, never mind the ipad 2 spec I am sure was envisioned?

Poorly thought out scheme doomed to failure.

It would be better using the money to help poor kids buy school uniforms, books, and whatever else they need to get them going to school.

[OzMick]

One of the big time constraints is that the Education Minister has just been appointed, and the same will most likely apply again in 6 months time.

In answer to Mosha's question, the answer is undoubtedly poor rural areas. As for a large majority of the last 10 years, the Thai government has been led by Thaksin or one of his puppets, you might ask why this is so given his claimed caring for those people.

Another question might be how many schools have electricity connected but with only basic usage - a few lights and fans. How many classrooms have a power outlet, and at what rating. I have a horror image of a xmas tree of those cheap reels plugged into a single outlet, and 50 odd tablets recharging ultimately through a single strand of speaker wire.

If the tablets are to be left in the school, will security guards be employed, or will B150,000 of tablets be considered not worth stealing?

Edited January 23, 2012 by OzMick

[KKK]

It would be better using the money to help poor kids buy school uniforms

School uniforms do not make for better students....let them wear their everyday clothes...much better to spend money on books, better teachers and equipment; things that actually give them an education.

[Jimjim]

In my opinion one of the most unimportant plans a developing country with many problems in its education system could have devised.

[smedly]

Towards the end of this article I could see just what a forward thinking idea this is for future classes, if Thaksin wasn't so tricky trying to win votes, I'd see the visionary side in this, but I'm guessing that when all is said and done, we'll look back on this as rather a waste of time and money, something that was fun in the classroom, had some learning benefit, but ultimately didn't make any significant difference to Thailand's under-educated children. 3,400 baht per student isn't really a lot of money to the education department, but it's not the real cost, once you've developed the software, bought the content and factored in maintanence, you can double that, which adds up to a lot of traditional books.

and you really think the government is going to pay for this - we'll see, I'll bet you here and now that within 12 months school fees will be well up to compensate for the extra cost.

[Fookhaht]

If students can take the computers home they can learn to learn by themselves, the most important trait a modern education can provide. Also they can teach their parents or tutors, who are probably computer illiterate (if not plain illiterate) themselves, therefore multiplying the educational value of the program.

A lot of "cans" in that statement. They can...but they won't.

Methinks you don't know Thai students.

[AleG]

If students can take the computers home they can learn to learn by themselves, the most important trait a modern education can provide. Also they can teach their parents or tutors, who are probably computer illiterate (if not plain illiterate) themselves, therefore multiplying the educational value of the program.

A lot of "cans" in that statement. They can...but they won't.

Methinks you don't know Thai students.

Children are innately curious and will explore the world around them by themselves.

The problem is, of course, that the model of education used here is deadly for that trait; depriving the children from the opportunity of using the tablets on their own would only perpetuate the situation.

[Old Man River]

In my opinion one of the most unimportant plans a developing country with many problems in its education system could have devised.

Still, it is an attempt and everyone is watching. If it fails, the reasons for failure will be focused on. If continually nothing is done, nobody focuses on education. Hence, for all the wrong reasons, this is a good program.

[KRS1]

Reminds me of a story i was told when i first arrived back in Thailand.

A small developing country wanted a rocket to go to space.

The Russians wanted 5 million to build it.

The Americans wanted 10 million to build it

A Persian business man wanted 15 million to build it.

Confused at the huge difference in price the countries Ambassador asked the Persian why his cost was so much higher than the others.

The Persian said this : " It will cost 5 million for the Russians to build it, plus my commission of 5 million, and you Mr. Ambassador will get the last 5 million in commission as a finders fee.