900,000 Tablet PCs To Be Handed Out Now: Thai Education Minister Suchart

[animatic]

He's also broached the tea money is OK if you call it donations.

So the PADs will be procured, but you will need to pay a kick back to get one early?

[Buchholz]

OBEC to make Grade 1 lessons ready in state-sponsored tablet PCs

BANGKOK, 23 February 2012 (NNT) - The state office in charge of Thailand's basic education is planning to make more use of the government's free tablet PC giveaways.

The Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC)'s Deputy Secretary General Phitsanu Tulsuk said that the preparation of curriculum that will incorporate in the government-sponsored tablet PCs is completed.

Mr. Phitsanu said the curricula have been divided into the 8 E-books, featuring 5 key subjects, and E-Object 350 learning materials.

Both have been designed for Grade-1 students, with the latter to be sent to Chinese producers to be installed in the tablet PCs.

According to the OBEC Deputy Secretary General, Thailand has ordered 560,000 tablets, worth THB1.799 billion, from China. The purchase has been made under the Government-to-Government deal, following the Cabinet's approval.

Mr. Phitsanu added that between 100,000-200,000 Chinese-made tablet PCs will be delivered to Thailand each month, starting in March, until the whole order has been filled.

He is confident that Thai students will have the tablets ready for use by May.

However, he conceded that as many as 20,000 schools under the OBEC's supervision are awaiting the installation of Wi-fi system, which is being sped up before the new school year start in May.

-- NNT 2012-02-23

[Buchholz]

He is confident that Thai students will have the tablets ready for use by May.

However, he conceded that as many as 20,000 schools under the OBEC's supervision are awaiting the installation of Wi-fi system

2,000 schools with no electricity

20,000 schools with no Wi-Fi

0 tablets purchased so far

Program begins in 10 weeks

No Problem

.

Edited February 23, 2012 by Buchholz

[sparebox2]

He is confident that Thai students will have the tablets ready for use by May.

However, he conceded that as many as 20,000 schools under the OBEC's supervision are awaiting the installation of Wi-fi system

2,000 schools with no electricity

20,000 schools with no Wi-Fi

0 tablets purchased so far

Program begins in 8 weeks

No Problem

.

Why do you need Wifi?

Never heard of the faithful thumb?

Why do you need electricity?

Never heard of cell (other that that surround you)?

Edited February 23, 2012 by sparebox2

[RogueLeader]

He's also broached the tea money is OK if you call it donations.

They're learning. Soon, the West will declare Thailand free of corruption.

[swisstouristpattaya]

ipad 3?

[Buchholz]

He is confident that Thai students will have the tablets ready for use by May.

However, he conceded that as many as 20,000 schools under the OBEC's supervision are awaiting the installation of Wi-fi system

2,000 schools with no electricity

20,000 schools with no Wi-Fi

0 tablets purchased so far

Program begins in 8 weeks

No Problem

Update...

3 weeks later, and still....

0 tablets purchased so far

as per

tick tock, tick tock .... school is starting soon.

.

[animatic]

Just saw a article in the other paper about + \ -

Embarrassment at finding significant hidden charges in the deal...

Seems this was not done as well as the negotiators thought.

What the price is going to go up now!!!! Who could imagine that?

So they going to distribute anyway?

Edited March 13, 2012 by animatic

[Buchholz]

Just saw a article in the other paper about + \ -

Embarrassment at finding significant hidden charges in the deal...

Seems this was not done as well as the negotiators thought.

What the price is going to go up now!!!! Who could imagine that?

So they going to distribute anyway?

No, because they don't have anything to distribute.

The deal with Shenzhen to provide 900,000 tablets has been cancelled and the bidding process has been restarted.

Although time is running out for their promised implementation date.... no need for concern as after all, per the thread title.... the Education Minister has made...

promises of action

.

Edited March 13, 2012 by Buchholz

[OzMick]

Just saw a article in the other paper about + \ -

Embarrassment at finding significant hidden charges in the deal...

Seems this was not done as well as the negotiators thought.

What the price is going to go up now!!!! Who could imagine that?

So they going to distribute anyway?

Perhaps the negotiators need a remedial reading class. Hidden charges were to be expected, but not in favour of the supplier.

[Buchholz]

Cash/barter for Chinese tablets

BANGKOK: -- Thailand will buy up to 900,000 tablet computers from China via a government-to-government contract with payment made in cash and produce.

The Education Minister announced today that the government-to-government sale has been scrapped in favor of a Memorandum of Understanding sale.

He said the MoU purchase of 900,000 tablets would be more flexible and also does not require the Chinese government to take responsibility for the supplier.

He will be seeking approval for the change at today's Cabinet meeting in Phuket.

.

[Buchholz]

.

At this afternoon's Cabinet meeting, the Cabinet has just now approved the plan for purchasing 900,000 tablets from China under a MoU.

.

[OzMick]

.

At this afternoon's Cabinet meeting, the Cabinet has just now approved the plan for purchasing 900,000 tablets from China under a MoU.

.

Well a small grimace is quite understandable.

[Buchholz]

Government cancels plan to buy tablet PCs in G-to-G method

The Cabinet Tuesday allowed the Information and Communications Technology to buy tablet computers from China, using a memorandum of understanding method instead of government-to-government method.

ICT Minister Anudit Nakhonthap said the G-to-G procurement method had too many red-tape procedures so he asked the Cabinet to approve the procurement in an MoU method instead.

Anudit said the government will buy the tablet computers from Shenzhen Scope Scientific Development Co. Ltd, which will be certified by the Chinese government.

He said the drafting of purchasing contract would be done before the end of the month and the contract would be checked by the Office of Attorney General.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra confirmed that her Cabinet had approved the ICT Ministry's request to make the purchase in MoU method instead of G-to-G method.

-- The Nation 2012-03-20

[Buchholz]

More tablets to be purchased for Mathayom 1 students

BANGKOK, 27 March 2012 (NNT) - Minister of Education Suchart Tadathamrongvech has unveiled the government’s plan to buy tablet computers for Mathayom 1 students in the second semester of 2012 academic year.

According to Mr Suchart, around 600,000-700,000 more tablets will be procured for distribution to Mathayom 1 students during the second term of the upcoming school year and the budget for the purchase will be allocated as part of the 2013 fiscal budget.

The minister said the tablets’ spec might be the same as that of tablets for Prathom 1 students or some adjustments might be made to better suit the students. The minister called on the director of the Office of the Basic Education Commission to help work on the project.

Mr Suchart remarked that the aim of the tablet project was the use of technology for learning.

In the next step, the Education Ministry will set up a central server, so that schools and education areas can download learning contents onto their tablets for the teaching purpose.

The ministry will also allow schools to buy additional applications which are related to their curricula by themselves without having to wait for the central unit to provide applications for them.

-- NNT 2012-03-27

[Buchholz]

Cabinet raises tablet budget to 2.4 Billion Baht

BANGKOK, 10 April 2012 (NNT) - The Cabinet has given the green light to the budget hike for the purchase of tablet PCs for school students to 2.4 Billion Baht as requested by the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

According to ICT Minister Group Captain Anudith Nakornthap, as the number of tablet PCs to be handed out to Prathom 1 students under the One Tablet Per Child policy has been adjusted from 900,000 units to 1 million, the total budget required for the purchase is now 2.4 Billion baht, as opposed to the initially set amount of 1.9 Billion baht.

Therefore, the budget increase has been proposed to the Cabinet for consideration and approval has been received today.

Earlier this month, China’s Shenzhen Scope Scientific Development Company Limited was awarded the concession to supply 900,000 tablet PCs to Thai students.

Group Captain Anudith added that Scope's Scopad model will include a seven-inch touch screen, a 1.2 GHz single core CPU, 1 GB RAM, a storage memory unit of 8GB and Google's Android 4.0 operating system.

The tablet is priced at 82 dollars each, with freight charges included.

However, the ICT Ministry has delayed the signing of a purchase contract scheduled for today, after the Chinese supplier failed to produce a guarantee from the Bank of China for 5 per cent of the project value by the deadline.

-- NNT 2012-04-10

[LucidLucifer]

Why tablets - because they are trendy? Notebooks give a lot more bang for the buck

Seems half most posting on a certain other forum is about this subject at the moment....ah well, I'll keep it brief....but here I go again. My 2 1/2 yr old can access and use a tablet, she's actually really impressive at it. Note the article, P1 students....they've got no chance of using a notebook without extensive teaching. I'm a teacher, i've used both tablets and PCs with my classes, I do know what i'm talking about.

[Buchholz]

The Cabinet has given the green light to the budget hike for the purchase of tablet PCs for school students

According to ICT Minister Anudith Nakornthap,

the total budget required for the purchase is now 2.4 Billion baht, as opposed to the initially set amount of 1.9 Billion baht.

Another 1/2 Billion Baht log for the campfire of greed

.

[rubl]

The Cabinet has given the green light to the budget hike for the purchase of tablet PCs for school students

According to ICT Minister Anudith Nakornthap,

the total budget required for the purchase is now 2.4 Billion baht, as opposed to the initially set amount of 1.9 Billion baht.

Another 1/2 Billion Baht log for the campfire of greed

In January the MoE got a THB 420.4 billion budget for fiscal 2012. That included a billion or so for the tablet program. Anyone out there who can tell me

- total budget

- amount allocated from MoE budget

- amount allocated from MoI budget

Edited April 10, 2012 by rubl

[meand]

To play devil's advocate a little, I can think of quite a few Thais who it would have done wonders for to have their hands on some more cutting edge technology when they were young. I tend to disagree with a couple of posts I read, in that I feel the poorest kids are the ones who would benefit from tablets the most.

I don't know, call me crazy, but doing something -- anything -- for education has to be a good thing. I'm always harping how we should pour more into education in my country. Here the Thais are doing that, I think they deserve credit. At the very least a whole generation would be at least partially more advanced when it comes to current technology. The key here is, and many of you may have parents that prove this with the lack of ability with computers, once they are comfortable with tablets, that potentially translates into being more apt to understand current technology for a lifetime. "Confidence" is also a key word missing from this discussion, I would think the average kid would have a lot more of it under this program.

Edited April 10, 2012 by meand

[Thaddeus]

To play devil's advocate a little, I can think of quite a few Thais who it would have done wonders for to have their hands on some more cutting edge technology when they were young. I tend to disagree with a couple of posts I read, in that I feel the poorest kids are the ones who would benefit from tablets the most.

I don't know, call me crazy, but doing something -- anything -- for education has to be a good thing. I'm always harping how we should pour more into education in my country. Here the Thais are doing that, I think they deserve credit. At the very least a whole generation would be at least partially more advanced when it comes to current technology. The key here is, and many of you may have parents that prove this with the lack of ability with computers, once they are comfortable with tablets, that potentially translates into being more apt to understand current technology for a lifetime. "Confidence" is also a key word missing from this discussion, I would think the average kid would have a lot more of it under this program.

Yes, yes, that's all fine, the kids will benefit, anything would be an improvement, but the benefit of the children was not the first and foremost thought when they made this promise.

But they made a promise, several promises in fact, and they have to live up to some of them or it is snouts out of the trough time.

And just to pre-empt the reddies, I hope this fails, not just fails a little bit, but fails monumentally, not for the detriment of the kids, it would only be a minor set-back for them compared with the contempt any authority has for them, but just to show how little the powers that be care about the ordinary folk.

[Buchholz]

Yes, yes, that's all fine, the kids will benefit, anything would be an improvement, but the benefit of the children was not the first and foremost thought when they made this promise.

But they made a promise, several promises in fact, and they have to live up to some of them or it is snouts out of the trough time.

And just to pre-empt the reddies, I hope this fails, not just fails a little bit, but fails monumentally, not for the detriment of the kids, it would only be a minor set-back for them compared with the contempt any authority has for them, but just to show how little the powers that be care about the ordinary folk.

I hope the same and maybe this time around it will sink in because it didn't before when countless other Thaksin schemes, programs, hubs, etc. failed miserably.

.

[goober]

When do they roll out?

I just want to know so I can pick a couple up at the local pawn shop.