Tablets Proving To Be A Big Headache: Thai Chalk Talk

[webfact]

CHALK TALK
Tablets proving to be a big headache
Chularat Saengpassa
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- The new academic year began a few weeks ago and yet, not a single Prathom 1 or Mathayom 1 student has received a tablet from the government's "One Tablet Per Child" project. Why? The government has not yet completed the bidding process for the procurement of these learning devices.

It's a delay that has hit the project again this year even though relevant authorities should have learnt a lesson from last year's blunders.

According to the Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec), the government has just concluded its terms of reference (TOR) for the bidding. To complete the process, the TOR will then have to be posted on the Obec website for public scrutiny. If no one protests, the e-Auction will then take place around the middle of this month and the signing of purchase contracts should follow later in the month. After the contract signing, the tablets would be delivered within 90 days.

This means some students will have to wait until September to get the devices. By that time, the current semester will have almost come to a close.

The government planned to spend Bt5.6billion on procuring 1.6 million tablets for Prathom 1 and Mathayom 1 students this year. The project was one of the ruling Pheu Thai Party's much-touted election policies. When the Pheu Thai Party came to power in 2011, it vowed to implement the project in the coming academic year, despite warnings and concern from all sides. The government chose to hand out the devices to Prathom 1 students first, but many experts consider that children of this age are still too young to reap the full benefits of hi-tech devices. The use of them, they say, may discourage children from interacting with others and enjoying normal physical development.

But despite the concerns, the government has again gone ahead with the project even though it is drastically delayed. Some Prathom 1 students got the devices just two weeks before their first semester concluded last year.

So has the government learnt any lessons? It appears not. This year, it is still unable to conclude the tablet procurement bidding process before the start of the new academic year. Again, students and teachers will have to conduct classes without the devices, which the government says should also be integrated into the learning process.

For students who received tablets last year, they are now also stuck, as Obec has not yet downloaded new content and new applications for them. To date, the content downloading for Prathom 2 students is still in the initial phase.

But this is all just the tip of iceberg when it comes to problems related to the One Tablet Per Child project. Recent research by Obec found that while tablets have equipped Prathom 1 students with an ability to search for knowledge on their own and pick up language skills faster, they have also reported eye irritations, aching fingers, as well as nausea among students. The research has also revealed that children spend less time playing with friends and became irritated when friends or siblings want to play games with them on their tablets.

Teachers have also reported maintenance problems. It takes a lot of time to charge the tablet battery and when the tablets malfunction, teachers, who do not have the technical training, have to struggle hard to try and fix them. If the tablets are referred to service centres, students have to wait some time before they get the devices back.

As policy makers rush to implement the One Tablet Per Child project, a large number of schools and teachers are not ready to handle the devices. It is therefore not surprising that in some schools, teachers lock the tablets away in cabinets for most of the time. What if students browse the Internet and access improper content? What if devices suddenly shut down and get infected with a virus?

E-classrooms - boasting Internet-based lessons using large touch screens and projectors - have also been abandoned at schools where they were on trial. Most of the teachers were unable to work the software, so as soon as there was a problem or the technology malfunctioned, teachers simply returned to more conventional methods of teaching.

And in addition to the tablets, all the electronic devices in the e-classrooms will soon expire as the technology is quickly going out of date. Very soon, Thailand will have to deal with a huge pile of electronic junk.

Indeed, policymakers should review ongoing projects now to see if any adjustments are needed, and to see where improvements can be made.

They need to take action to ensure that the tablets and e-classrooms are well worth the money being spent on them.

The government also needs to plan carefully before introducing any new projects. Hi-tech equipment does not always translate into quality learning and efficiency, but proper planning does.

-- The Nation 2013-06-03

[waza]

Two years later and there are still problems with this most basic populist policy, I am beginning to think this government couldn't organise a chook raffle.

[sirchai]

After the contract signing, the tablets would be delivered within 90 days (or 2 years imprisonment, or both)

. E-classrooms - boasting Internet-based lessons using large touch screens and projectors - have also been abandoned at schools where they were on trial. Most of the teachers were unable to work the software, so as soon as there was a problem or the technology malfunctioned, teachers simply returned to more conventional methods of teaching.

More conventional techniques like bamboo sticks and books?

​Got two at our school. Nobody knows how to use them. I can't use them ,as I'm a " Kru Tangdchaad". Guess the teachers have pretty much malfunctioned. Not even an office program on them.

And in addition to the tablets, all the electronic devices in the e-classrooms will soon expire as the technology is quickly going out of date. Very soon, Thailand will have to deal with a huge pile of electronic junk.

Technology out of date? Got all programs that are necessary on my notebook. Unbelievable third world thinking.

Just go with the flow. And don't ask silly questions.- .

Edited June 14, 2013 by Scott

[rheinwiese]

Two years later and there are still problems with this most basic populist policy, I am beginning to think this government couldn't organise a chook raffle.

Yeah, Thailand's best and brightest and our tax Baht at work.

[tominbkk]

Can they come up with a "moldy rice for outdated tablet" deal?

[retell]

sowhere to apply to be an official maintenance point for charging and put the " software "

[Thaddeus]

Well, this is going as well as predicted by many.

[robblok]

These huge projects are never about better schooling and such, they are about election promises and a chance to steal loads of tax money on these big deals to line their own pockets.

[jbrain]

I agree that the implementation of the Tablet program is handled by idiots, but this article from The Nation is just another " let's find a stick to hit with ".

The second half of the article is clearly written by a reporter who has completely no idea of what he's going on about.

[Chamezz]

Why not spend those 5.6 billion baht on hiring more teachers and foreign education experts to help revamp the Thai education system?

These kids would be better off learning how to actually think independently rather than learning to rely on technology at such an early age.

5 600 000 000 THB / 29 = ~$193 000 000, that would go a long way.

[kannot]

Hah! OBEC well at least they got the name right "basic" should change it to OBIC "inadequate"

Stupid Tablets they will only play games on them anyway.

Chalk and a bloody blackboard's all they need, actually probably no education would be a better education for them.

[His Masters Voice]

If I could rewrite the headline to reflect the actual truth.

"Tenering for the tablets is proving difficult to locate a vendor who will make the appropriate donations to my personal and political cause ... "

Sub-clause

"We value our children's education so highly we will defer purchasing until the appropriate donation vendor can be secured"

[steveromagnino]

Like every other TRT, PPP and PT scheme, it is all about rushing implementation and figuring out how to skim money out of government coffers while presenting to the public that somehow this is money coming out of personal pockets, without investing time to actually do it properly; perhaps deliberately.

30b healthcare, village fund, first car, first home, airport, buying Liverpool, flood management, infrastructure, FTAs, Thai Elite card etc.

The tablets are substandard. The software and content substandard. The training and method to teach not adjusted. The TOR geared towards skim only.

Was there any question this was going to be a disaster?

Like many other ideas from the boss, it actually has a very logical foundation, but when you have 95% of the participants trying to figure out how to make themselves rich rather than worrying at all about how it is going to work effectively, this is the end result.

But then again, that's looking from a perspective of doing it for education. Actually, this policy was never about education. It was about building a warchest of cash.

[Emdog]

"It's a delay that has hit the project again this year even though relevant authorities should have learnt a lesson from last year's blunders."

To do so would imply the decision makers would be able to plan, reflect, anticipate, adapt and implement a logical sensible program. They don't teach those skills in schools here, and the tablets aren't going to make that any better. Teach them how to think. They already know how to play games. Thinking does not require tablets, but then where would the kickbacks be? Things are much more important than ideas and education. My ex wifes mother said "He shouldn't be angry: he didn't give you anything". I sent her to two years grad school at Chula. But education can't be held in hand or sold for profit, so of no value. Very concrete culture here. Mostly in head.

[rubberduck]

What educating thing one can do with a tablet ? Absolutely nothing !

Computers for such little kids already is very wrong.

Edited June 3, 2013 by rubberduck

[Traveling Sailor]

Just another example of the intelligence that permiates the PTP. Shades of the Rice Pledging scam.

[Neilly]

So has the government learnt any lessons? It appears not.

Can't argue with that bit

[HOOD Robin]

These huge projects are never about better schooling and such, they are about election promises and a chance to steal loads of tax money on these big deals to line their own pockets.

EXACTLY ! Like with everything in Thailand, those poo yai's are still debating who is gonna liquidate most of that "dirty" money in his pockets...

[lee b]

who would of ever thought this ????

[vijer]

The business I work at must have hired the same Thai computer experts that are being employed by the government, none of the computers run properly and 2/3 of the locations can't print or access the internet most of the time. Every time I go and try to correct the problem they act like it would be impossible for me to fix it.

[Skywalker69]

Two years later and there are still problems with this most basic populist policy, I am beginning to think this government couldn't organise a chook raffle.

Yeah, Thailand's best and brightest and our tax Baht at work.

Yeah, Thailand's best and brightest and our tax Baht at work down the drain.

[simon43]

I can't use them ,as I'm a " Kru Tangdchaad".

Do you mean that you are assumed to be an idiot because your'e a foreigner, and unable to use them...?

Or are you forbidden to use them because you are an alien...?

Simon

[belg]

all in one sentence? thais, making mistakes and learning for it ?

false promises makes good hopes

and a lot of stupid people to believe them

[LucidLucifer]

What educating thing one can do with a tablet ? Absolutely nothing !

Computers for such little kids already is very wrong.

Your ignorance is shocking; please do not comment on things you clearly have no knowledge of.

I will not defend the governments procurement of substandard devices, or the the complete lack of training to see that they are able to be used to their fullest potential.

However, the educational benefit that can be derived from embedding ICT within the curriculum is beyond question.

[Keesters]

And WHAT is the governments response?

I'm not doubting the article but shouldn't a response from the government be sought; even if it was "no comment" or something similar.

[473geo]

The article is just fanning the flames, accepted the delivery is disappointing, but if you have 'checks and balances' if due procurement process must be followed, as we see advocated on this very forum, then unfortunately timescales are likely to slip.

As said above the rest of the article is not even worthy of comment.......shows the article up for exactly what it is......an ill thought out attempt turn a populist policy into a stick to beat the government

Some of the comments here regarding the educational value show the article creator is not alone in his ignorance

[Thaddeus]

The article is just fanning the flames, accepted the delivery is disappointing, but if you have 'checks and balances' if due procurement process must be followed, as we see advocated on this very forum, then unfortunately timescales are likely to slip.

This promise is what it has always been, a pig in a poke.

[473geo]

The article is just fanning the flames, accepted the delivery is disappointing, but if you have 'checks and balances' if due procurement process must be followed, as we see advocated on this very forum, then unfortunately timescales are likely to slip.

This promise is what it has always been, a pig in a poke.

Some tablets are in use.....therefore already some, although limited, benefit is already in place....

[rubl]

Some tablets in use? Shouldn't that be all 890,00++ of them bought and probably delivered last year? Mind you P2 kids with a tabletPc with P1 programs seems a bit odd. Must be a matter of repetition to emphasize what has been learned last year.