Audit Panels To Check Purchase Of Computer Tablets: Thailand

[webfact]

PC TABLETS

Audit panels to check purchase

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Education Ministry has set up five audit committees to ensure transparency in the procurement of more than 1.2 million PC tablets for the next academic year.

Education Minister Suchart Tadathamrongvej said yesterday that Cabinet had already approved Bt1.56 billion to purchase 558,077 tablets for Prathom 1 students and Bt1.91 billion to buy 637,751 tablets for Mathayom 1 students.

The specifications for the new batches would be better than the last. For example, internal memory would be doubled from 8 to 16 gigabytes. The budget for each new tablet is up to Bt3,000 each.

A panel chaired by PM's adviser Olarn Chaipravat is still in charge of setting specifications for the tablets.

"The panel is working on it," Suchart said.

The procurement for Mathayom 1 would start late this year and for Prathom 1 early next year.

E-auctions would be held and vendors, local or foreign, were welcome to bid.

"We believe the move will give a boost to Thailand's software and hardware industry," he said.

The use of tablets among students would help encourage active application development, he said.

The One Tablet Per Child project is one of the policies that helped Pheu Thai Party win the election. About 400,000 tablets have already been handed out to students.

Over the past four months, the ministry had found that students were using their tablets to access content via the Internet more.

"This reflects a certain level of success," he said.

Internet usage during the first month was just 1,400 times. In the second month or July, it jumped to 14,228. In August, it skyrocketed to 107,000. Last month, it soared to 460,000.

Students who have already received free tablets for studying are expected to use them for the life of the devices.

Earlier this year, the government signed contracts with a Chinese supplier for 858,886 tablets worth Bt1.9 billion that are now being used for studying at Prathom 1 level.

-- The Nation 2012-10-17

[rubl]

With earlier this year contracts signed for 858,886 tablet worth 1.9 billion already 400,000 delivered for the current school year. Not bad.

So cabinet approved buying 558,077 more for P1 at 1.58 billion? Is that for the next school year? The original 858,886 would be enough for P1 this year. As for the 637,751 for M1, is that for ALL M1? Is that for next year?

[OzMick]

~900,000 P1 students' tablets this year, but only 558,000 next. Either they are going to delay the issue the tablets not yet arrived, or change the name to One Tablet If You're Lucky.

[siampolee]

Please assure us all that there is not the gentle effluvia of corruption wafting up from such an august body as the Ministry of Education regarding the purchase of these Chinese made tablets and the operation of said tablets ?

No doubt the redoubtable Chalerm will be sniffing like a bloodhound to see if he in his role of anti corruption manager can detect the aforementioned aroma ?

If the source of this gentle tainted effluvia is is found the ministry and the officials will of course be fumigated thus removing the effluvia and ensuring the future running of the ministry for the benefit of the people it serves rather than the politicians and the ministry officials.?

Edited October 17, 2012 by siampolee

[ajarnpot]

you'r onto something, I guess it will be a transfer or resignation,

[rakman]

I wonder how much the attendees (how many in each committee?) of the 5 audit committees get in compensation? Who audits the audit committees?

[hadi8253]

Internet usage ... Last month, it soared to 460,000.

Now I know why my connection becomes slower and slower every month.

[MaxLee]

Internet usage ... Last month, it soared to 460,000.

Now I know why my connection becomes slower and slower every month.

Word.... my Internet goes on and off and on and off, every now and then since last weekend. Seems like in addition Ro the 3G drama is that the telecommunication departments of Thailand don't have enough Internet cable lines to run a stable Internet traffic "THAT DOESN'T DISCONNECT ON AND OFF AND ON AND OFF SO RANDOMLY"

That 3G auction in Thailand is just die selfish serving monopolist regulator presidents that want the private benefit for themselves, and not for the majority.

[indyuk]

I am so happy that the protect of one tablet for every child is proceeding well. Further advances in the modernization of the Thai education system would also be most welcome. It would be especially beneficial if the teaching of Thai English could be reinforced sufficiently to increase the number of students graduating each year with fluent Thai-English to their credit.

Edited October 17, 2012 by indyuk

[Noistar]

I am so happy that the protect of one tablet for every child is proceeding well. Further advances in the modernization of the Thai education system would also be most welcome. It would be especially beneficial if the teaching of Thai English could be reinforced sufficiently to increase the number of students graduating each year with fluent Thai-English to their credit.

Would be nice to teach English. My step-daughter's Thai 'English teacher' (ho-ho) hasn't a clue.

Did the scheme start this year? I'm confused. If it did, how far through the academic year are we as the introduction continues?

If it didn't, what are students doing in lesson time with the tablets? Presumably lesson time is already allocated, so 'spare' time to surf would surely be limited.

What are the students doing on the Internet? The figures are meaningless. If the entire education policy behind the introduction of the tablets is to encourage surfing, where is the educational benefit?

[riceyummm]

I am so happy that the protect of one tablet for every child is proceeding well. Further advances in the modernization of the Thai education system would also be most welcome. It would be especially beneficial if the teaching of Thai English could be reinforced sufficiently to increase the number of students graduating each year with fluent Thai-English to their credit.

My step-daughters learned zero English in school. Now that we have internet at home they are constantly asking me how to say things in English so they can communicate with their friends around the world. They are learning the language very fast. I was concerned that all they would do was use the internet to play games and chat with friends. That's exactly what happened and it turned out to be a very good thing.

Learning English will be an unintended but very welcome consequence of the tablet program. Who knows, maybe it was intended?

[Keesters]

Who audits the audit committees?

Reckon that's why there are 5 committees.

Committee 2 audits committee 1

Committee 3 audits committee 2

Committee 4 audits committee 3

Committee 5 audits committee 4

In the end we'll probably get a camel when we wanted a horse.

[Narratio]

Ahh, you left out that committee 1 audits committee 5. All while Chalerm is not doing whatever it is he's paid to do.

[Nickymaster]

Where is the DSI went you need them.....

[veto64]

hi,

3000thb/each for half a million pcs?

2 weeks ago i bought one new 8Gig Android Tablet in PantiPlaza for 1900thb. ~1.2GHz

it works just fine and same as fast as any android tablet

[rubl]

Earlier this year, the government signed contracts with a Chinese supplier for 858,886 tablets worth Bt1.9 billion that are now being used for studying at Prathom 1 level.

Is there any update on this? How many of these 858,886 tabletPCs have actually been delivered, checked, passed on and are in the hands of P1 schoolkids ? Three more months before the schoolyear finishes, I think

[Ricardo]

Rather than setting-up audit-committees to look at next year's orders, which appear to include some catch-up element for the tablets which were funded & ordered & not-delivered this year, would it not be better for one of these audit-teams to look at this year's performance ?

They might discover why the specification appears to be inadequate (otherwise why upgrade the spec for next year ?), and why the tablets arrived much later than promised/required, and in a lower quantity than needed to give one to every student ?

Oops ... Sorry ... I just realised why that won't be happening !

[Thait Spot]

Is this another "G2G" deal that may be as slippery as the rice scam?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect App

[smedly]

Who audits the audit committees?

Reckon that's why there are 5 committees.

Committee 2 audits committee 1

Committee 3 audits committee 2

Committee 4 audits committee 3

Committee 5 audits committee 4

In the end we'll probably get a camel when we wanted a horse.

That leaves the corrupt Committee 5 unaudited - surely committee 1 should be auditing committee 5 ? forming a complete circle of heads up eachothers <deleted>, smell the corruption

Edited December 9, 2012 by smedly

[ggold]

hi,

3000thb/each for half a million pcs?

2 weeks ago i bought one new 8Gig Android Tablet in PantiPlaza for 1900thb. ~1.2GHz

it works just fine and same as fast as any android tablet

It is odd though, that up until these tablets were bought for the schools, you did not see anything that cheap in the many mobile shops. They are not branded, made in China and look exactly the same as those bought for the schools.

Am I right in thinking that not all the first lot of tablets were all handed out? Have they been put up for sale in the mobile shops? When the schools get the new tablets with upgraded memory, I wonder how long before the shops sell them?

Sent from my GT-P6200 using Thaivisa Connect App

Edited December 9, 2012 by ggold

[Pimay1]

I have audited myself and found no corruption. You can believe me because I am a puyai and you are nothing.