Thailand orders 1.2 million tablet computers for pupils

[webfact]

Thailand orders 1.2 million tablet computers for pupils

BANGKOK, June 29, 2013 (AFP) - Thailand will pay $110 million to two firms to supply 1.2 million tablet computers to schools across the country, the Education Ministry announced Friday, awarding the tender for the next phase of a controversial schools policy.

The "One Tablet Per Child" scheme, part of the government's election campaign in 2011, has been criticised as an expensive gimmick designed to boost the popularity of the ruling party among parents -- and the next generation of voters.

But to its supporters, the ambitious scheme will bridge the gap between rich and poor pupils by using technology to boost education standards in a country which measures up poorly compared to the rest of Asia.

China's Shenzhen Yitoa Intelligent Control and Thai firm Supreme Distribution will provide the tablets, the Education Ministry said in a statement, as the government rolls out its plan to equip 13 million pupils with the handheld devices by the end of next year.

"Each tablet costs between $63 and $93," it said adding the Chinese firm will supply 800,000 tablets to grade 1 (seven to eight-years-old), while the local company will provide more than 425,000 of the devices to seventh graders (13-years-olds).

About 850,000 Chinese-made devices have already been distributed, in what the government describes as the world's largest handout of the devices for education.

While other Asian nations fared well in the most recent global education survey by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in 2009, Thailand came around 50th out of 65 countries in the rankings for reading, maths and science.

Experts say rote learning and a lack of encouragement for critical thinking compound a massive divide between rich private schools and poorly funded state-run institutions.


-- (c) Copyright AFP 2013-06-29

[webfact]

Companies named in winning bids for tablet PCs
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Winners of the bids for the government's "One Tablet Per Child" project involving 1.6 million PC tablets were announced yesterday.

Education Minister Phongthep Thepkanjana said the successful bidder for Zone 1, who will provide 431,105 tablets to Prathom 1 students in Central region and the South was Shenzhen Yitoa Intelligent Control. This company's bid of Bt842 million was Bt300 million or 28 per cent below the set price.

Shenzhen Yitoa Intelligent Control also won the bid for Zone 2, to provide 373,637 tablets to Prathom 1 students in the North and Northeast. The bidding closed at Bt786 million, which was Bt230 million, or 22 per cent below the set price.

In Zone 3, the winning bid of Bt1.24 billion was put forward by Supreme Distribution (Thailand), which will provide 426,683 tablets to Mathayom 1 students and teachers in the Central region and the South. The winning bid was Bt5 million or 0.4 per cent below the median price.

However, bidding for Zone 4 had to be cancelled because only one qualifying bid was submitted.

The e-auction was for the sale of 402,889 handsets to be provided to Mathayom 1 students and teachers in the North and Northeast.


-- The Nation 2013-06-29

[ChrisY1]

Madness.....!!

[retell]

how they do that can buy a tablet for 1760 @ makro and they will pay 2500 for them ??????/

[hookedondhamma]

Nooooooooooooo!!!!

[bigbamboo]

Ranked 50th out of 65 at reading, maths and science but ranked 1st at computer games!

[Payboy]

the government describes as the world's largest handout of the devices for education

Other countries better catchup, or their trophy cabinets will be empty soon.

[John Egil]

Ranked 50th out of 65 at reading, maths and science but ranked 1st at computer games!

Yeah, maybe proper education would be better to start with

[looping]

How about a report showing how the existing tablets are going?

Maybe they could answer these questions, and more:

1. How are they being used?

2. How many are still working? Is there an after 'sales' service?

3. Is there a central location (website/forum) where teachers and students can share ideas on which software works and strategies on how to use the tablets effectively?

4. What information does the govt have that these tablets are being used at all?

Then again, it's not about the effectiveness of the system, it's about the handing out of 'sweets'.

Congrats as always to the caring sharing selfless acting government of Thailand.

[thhMan]

And most of the classes will be spent trying to figure out why the tablets aren't connecting or "who forgot to charge the tablets" and other slightly tech tasks.

[GAZZPA]

How much? I work in consumer electronics and I pay $39 for a 7" touchpad. it doesn't say anything about the specs but surely this is suitable. That price 63 to 93usd is way too expensive for a basic touchpad. Unless i am missing something this is the worst tender result i have seen or even heard of. Ordering 1.2 million i would expect a lower cost then i am paying AND full service / warranty support. Something stinks here.

[OldChinaHam]

Sorry. But I do agree with the OLPC program after living in a poor fishing village for a number of years.

The kids did not have computers.

I don't care what they do with it, I just want every kid to have one.

We do not know how many will be "wasted" doing trivial things.

But a percentage of these will pay off and bear fruit.

And better a bit of plastic and glass than a Kalashnikov or a Satchel bomb.

The only thing I would require, is that they be installed with LINUX

And checked to make sure they were not reinstalled with Windows.

If the kids want to figure out and implement game playing on LINUX

Then that is fine by me.

I might even like to have one myself to try out.

Also, if we look at the original justification for this type of project which was first proposed by N. Negroponte at MIT, his argument is very persuasive.

Edited June 29, 2013 by OldChinaHam

[meatboy]

how they do that can buy a tablet for 1760 @ makro and they will pay 2500 for them ??????/

thats james mcCormick's little extra,around 900million bht.

[rametindallas]

Since the government plans to keep expanding this program, why, except for corruption reasons, are these tablets not manufactured in Thailand?

[kurnell]

I hate to say it but the government has impressed me. There is very little corruption in this scheme. They could have easily claimed the tablets cost $220 million and nobody would have batted an eyelid. Schoolboy error.

[caykay]

I worked in a prathom school. These tablets are garbage. Thirty percent of them don't work out of the box. The rest were given away and never got used once in the school because no one wanted to admit they don't know how to use them. They'll end taped to motorbikes and sold in markets within a few months. Grand waste of money.

[A Member]

How about a report showing how the existing tablets are going?

Maybe they could answer these questions, and more:

1. How are they being used?

2. How many are still working? Is there an after 'sales' service?

3. Is there a central location (website/forum) where teachers and students can share ideas on which software works and strategies on how to use the tablets effectively?

4. What information does the govt have that these tablets are being used at all?

Then again, it's not about the effectiveness of the system, it's about the handing out of 'sweets'.

Congrats as always to the caring sharing selfless acting government of Thailand.

Can you imagine the reaction if a school suddenly announced tomorrow will be an all day tablet day ? How many Somchais and Somyings would turn up without their tablet and be unable or unwilling to explain why ?

How many tablets already issued are " missing " as they have been swapped, or taken by a family member to be pawned or sold for more important necessities and I don't mean food or paying bills, other than maybe keeping the loan shark away from the door for another day ?

[caykay]

I hate to say it but the government has impressed me. There is very little corruption in this scheme. They could have easily claimed the tablets cost $220 million and nobody would have batted an eyelid. Schoolboy error.

Don't worry. There's corruption there. The tablets cost next to nothing

[rubl]

So, M1 students in North and North-East have to wait a bit longer. Well, no need to hurry, the school year only started one and a half month ago. Anyway does this mean that the P2 kids who took the tabletPC with them will also very soon now get P2 programs rather than having to do an infinite repeat of the P1 programs? I assume M1 programs are ready to be put on the new M1 tabletPCs?

[AleG]

Sorry. But I do agree with the OLPC program after living in a poor fishing village for a number of years.

The kids did not have computers.

I don't care what they do with it, I just want every kid to have one.

We do not know how many will be "wasted" doing trivial things.

But a percentage of these will pay off and bear fruit.

And better a bit of plastic and glass than a Kalashnikov or a Satchel bomb.

The only thing I would require, is that they be installed with LINUX

And checked to make sure they were not reinstalled with Windows.

If the kids want to figure out and implement game playing on LINUX

Then that is fine by me.

I might even like to have one myself to try out.

Also, if we look at the original justification for this type of project which was first proposed by N. Negroponte at MIT, his argument is very persuasive.

Actually, if you listen to Negroponte's arguments they are very persuasive in NOT doing it the way the PTP government has been going around it. For example the laptop designed for the original OLPC was unique, his argument being that it couldn't be resold, either by those receiving it or by theft, IIRC he compared them with a mail van, nobody would steal one since they are so unmistakable.

The other things lacking with this scheme and Negroponte's OLPC are a well established curricula and infrastructure. This tablet program is a hodgepodge of last minute improvisations.

Now they are bringing 1.2 million tablets of a different model and supplier, thus doubling the support and maintenance (if any) for the program.

[stoli]

how they do that can buy a tablet for 1760 @ makro and they will pay 2500 for them ??????/

The Los Angeles School District in California just came to an agreement to provide 650,000 tablets to their students, all iPads! There was no mention of the cost, but for a state that is near bankruptcy, the price they are paying for iPads has got to be huge. Why not a Chinese tablet?

[pb1936]

Some teaching would be a good idea............

[CIHUAHUA]

Sorry. But I do agree with the OLPC program after living in a poor fishing village for a number of years.

The kids did not have computers.

I don't care what they do with it, I just want every kid to have one.

We do not know how many will be "wasted" doing trivial things.

But a percentage of these will pay off and bear fruit.

And better a bit of plastic and glass than a Kalashnikov or a Satchel bomb.

The only thing I would require, is that they be installed with LINUX

And checked to make sure they were not reinstalled with Windows.

If the kids want to figure out and implement game playing on LINUX

Then that is fine by me.

I might even like to have one myself to try out.

Also, if we look at the original justification for this type of project which was first proposed by N. Negroponte at MIT, his argument is very persuasive.

The desire to know and understand is the key to learning. Even in a poor fishing village the youth would rather play games or social media. " Water seeks its own level." The people that benefit the most are the ones selling them. 1-2-1 is the best learning experience with a mentor controlling the tech.

[willyumiii]

Negative TV hogwash.

I have seen these tablets in use at my local school.

They were using a program to assist in teaching the English language to Thai students.

Very good program, very good results.

Maybe over priced, maybe corruption, I don't know.

But, I don't care. You shouldn't worry about the cost of improving the education of young Thais.

How many TV members are paying the tab for this?

Do you really pay much tax in Thailand?

[meatboy]

Negative TV hogwash.

I have seen these tablets in use at my local school.

They were using a program to assist in teaching the English language to Thai students.

Very good program, very good results.

Maybe over priced, maybe corruption, I don't know.

But, I don't care. You shouldn't worry about the cost of improving the education of young Thais.

How many TV members are paying the tab for this?

Do you really pay much tax in Thailand?

yes minister.

[pb1936]

Well they could try some quality teaching, instead of giving playthings to the pupils. And I understand that the schools have to pay the internet charges !

Must be more vote buying.

[OldChinaHam]

I worked in a prathom school. These tablets are garbage. Thirty percent of them don't work out of the box. The rest were given away and never got used once in the school because no one wanted to admit they don't know how to use them. They'll end taped to motorbikes and sold in markets within a few months. Grand waste of money.

The OLPC computers are specifically designed so that they look out of place being re-sold. These are Bright Green in color and don't really look like the normal computer. They are difficult to resell. It is possible for the Thailand government to modify the design I suppose, but why do this?

I have been watching this program develop for a number of years and I am glad to see it finally gaining some hard won momentum.

[OldChinaHam]

Well they could try some quality teaching, instead of giving playthings to the pupils. And I understand that the schools have to pay the internet charges !

Must be more vote buying.

The internet charges don't really "cost". The infrastructure is already built and there is much bandwidth still to be allocated. Your saying this is like the telecom companies that state that every call you make costs them money, a ridiculous contention.

[OldChinaHam]

Sorry. But I do agree with the OLPC program after living in a poor fishing village for a number of years.

The kids did not have computers.

I don't care what they do with it, I just want every kid to have one.

We do not know how many will be "wasted" doing trivial things.

But a percentage of these will pay off and bear fruit.

And better a bit of plastic and glass than a Kalashnikov or a Satchel bomb.

The only thing I would require, is that they be installed with LINUX

And checked to make sure they were not reinstalled with Windows.

If the kids want to figure out and implement game playing on LINUX

Then that is fine by me.

I might even like to have one myself to try out.

Also, if we look at the original justification for this type of project which was first proposed by N. Negroponte at MIT, his argument is very persuasive.

Actually, if you listen to Negroponte's arguments they are very persuasive in NOT doing it the way the PTP government has been going around it. For example the laptop designed for the original OLPC was unique, his argument being that it couldn't be resold, either by those receiving it or by theft, IIRC he compared them with a mail van, nobody would steal one since they are so unmistakable.

The other things lacking with this scheme and Negroponte's OLPC are a well established curricula and infrastructure. This tablet program is a hodgepodge of last minute improvisations.

Now they are bringing 1.2 million tablets of a different model and supplier, thus doubling the support and maintenance (if any) for the program.

Thank you for pointing this out. It is true that I am not as well versed in the present program as I should be. Still I am glad there is some progress being made, and I hope everyone involved will continue to tweak the program to fine tune it so that it becomes better.

And yes, as I stated above, a key point of the Negroponte plan was to have the design of the unit unique. It was supposed to be BRIGHT GREEN originally. What happened?

It was also supposed to be Linux. Again, investigate what happened, and correct the fault.

Edited June 29, 2013 by OldChinaHam

[OldChinaHam]

how they do that can buy a tablet for 1760 @ makro and they will pay 2500 for them ??????/

The Los Angeles School District in California just came to an agreement to provide 650,000 tablets to their students, all iPads! There was no mention of the cost, but for a state that is near bankruptcy, the price they are paying for iPads has got to be huge. Why not a Chinese tablet?

I think we should really strive for doing things the OpenSource way so that kids will grow up with this philosophy and learn how to create their own open software and hardware. This is part of the learning process that we do NOT use Apple or Microsoft.