Ideas aired to replace the 'One Tablet Per Child' project

[webfact]

Ideas aired to replace school tablet scheme
Supinda na Mahachai
The Nation



Focus now on 'smart classrooms'

BANGKOK: -- THE EDUCATION MINISTRY has come up with four options that could be introduced to replace the One Tablet Per Child (OTPC) project.

While the ministry is expected to consult authorities and information-technology experts before choosing one of these options next Monday, its work panel disclosed yesterday that the "smart classroom" was the most likely choice.

The other options are smart schools, e-learning, and smart libraries, panel chairman Kamol Rodklai said.

Kamol did not go into details about the choices except for the smart classroom. "Each smart classroom will be equipped with quality tablets, available at between Bt8,000 and Bt9,000 apiece," he said.

He said that if the Bt5.8-billion budget for the OTPC programme were diverted to the smart-classroom project, as many as 15,000 schools would get a smart classroom in the first year of the new project's implementation.

"All schools in the country can get a smart classroom within two years," he said.

Kamol, who is also a deputy secretary-general of the Office of the Basic Education Commission, said there were more than 30,000 schools in Thailand.

According to Education Ministry permanent secretary Suthasri Wong-samarn, more than half of the 700,000 teachers in the country are over 50, and older teachers generally are not very familiar with modern technology.

"It is agreed that perhaps we should find some other ways to use IT for teaching," she said, referring to her meetings with Admiral Narong Pipattanasai, deputy chief of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), who oversees her ministry.

OTPC was the brainchild of the previous administration, led by the Pheu Thai Party.

Under the project, all students were supposed to be issued a tablet computer. During the first year of implementation, all Prathom 1 students got their tablets. In the second year, both Prathom 1 and Mathayom 1 students were to be issued the devices. After the junta seized power last month, Narong suggested OTPC should be reviewed.

Kamon suggested that it be scrapped because it was not cost-effective.

"Handing out tablets to every student meant the device was used just one or two hours a day," he said. "Tablets for OTPC were cheap but they also came with low quality."

So far, Kamol said, the NCPO has not decided yet on scrapping OTPC.

"The review was initiated by the 'social psychology' group of the NCPO. The final decision will depend on the NCPO," he said.


-- The Nation 2014-06-18

[jaidam]

Properly trained teachers and bring back corporal punishment to get some order in the classroom. Surprising how unruly some Thai classrooms are, not a good learning atmosphere IMO.

[NongKhaiKid]

I suppose it's too revolutionary and not flashy enough to suggest decent teachers working with a well thought out curriculum and within a proper system.

Students made to work and graded on that work not because of who they are or considerations paid. No buying of school or university places or entry because of who you are or who your family knows.

At the top of the educational ladder no ' giveaway ' degrees for all the usual reasons.

This is far too radical i'm afraid. " Dreamin', I was only Dreamin' ".

[siampolee]

An education system based upon ''Education as opposed to Indoctrination'' might well be a gigantic step for ''Thaikind.''

[thesetat2013]

How about new school computers with internet and up to date software in all schools. Or newer and more books for their libraries. A higher budget for science and other advanced classes to allow students more fliexability to enhance their imaginations and explore new ideas. Or even teacher training to get students to learn instead of memorizing everything.

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[aussieinthailand]

I have a great idea,

Can the one tablet per kid and borrow a few billion to pay for free world cup for all, oh and a free movie as well, that'll educate the kids won't it, that show em all about tecnoloyee

Errrm I think that may well have been done huh

A young girl not far from our place say's she can only afford to finish 3rd year high school and will have to work on the farm, yet she is top of her class in each subject,

A friend was told last month if she wants a teaching job it will cost her 700,000 - 800,000 baht, What chance have the kids got?

[bkkgooner]

Half of the teachers are over 50 and there is a huge problem with the education system in Thailand.

So many teachers who have been doing the same thing for 20 + years and have no intention of trying new methods.

Tablets aren't really needed for a smart classroom anyway you can use just computers what is this obsession the Thais have with tablets?

[iancnx]

A completely new curriculum taught by completely re-trained teachers. Incentives for graduates to choose a teaching career, but first prove they are able to actually teach before appointment.

[chainarong]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

How about new school computers with internet and up to date software in all schools. Or newer and more books for their libraries. A higher budget for science and other advanced classes to allow students more fliexability to enhance their imaginations and explore new ideas. Or even teacher training to get students to learn instead of memorizing everything.

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

It might be a good idea to introduce the three RRRs along with your properly trained teachers, however properly trained teachers would have to be brought in from outside at cost , bang there go's the military budget.

[ezzra]

How about replacing it with one brain per child so he/she can appreciate what they have

and how life is a lot easier that their parents and grand parent has ever had,

a brain to utilize their opportunity to do the right thing, stay away from drugs and alcohol

and other vises that ruined a many, many young life.....

[moonray]

If generals want to impress us and students with something better,then tablets - they should follow the trend:

today everybody uses phablets,not tablets!

I keep one in my hands now:10inch,4 core,2 sim,3G internet,works like breeze!how much? - 150US only.

They should create nationwide educational network on 3G,school phablets locked into it.Such network can be used

in emergency,like national disasters or...political disasters...or....tsunami....

If they just allocate funds - funds are being stolen in Thailand routeinly from the beginning of time and nothing will

change about it.If they give student a pencil,he will have the pencil,if they give a tablet/phablet - student will have

the phablet,if they allocate funds for whatever - student will get nothing,somebody will get rich.

[tomyummer]

What about 'smart teachers'?

[MaxLee]

"Ideas aired to replace school tablet scheme"

The most likely to happen would be military-brainwashing, ... I guess

Just saying

[moonray]

What about 'smart teachers'?

The best post of this season!I will buy you Singha- where do you drink?

[tomyummer]

What about 'smart teachers'?

The best post of this season!I will buy you Singha- where do you drink?

Thanks, you are too kind.

[IamNoone88]

A good scam is hard to keep down. How predictable for yet another "costly" scheme to replace it. The rural schools I have seen lack even the basic books. That might be a good start.

[richard_smith237]

Options Could be...

Donation schemes - Companies / People donating computers to schools.

This could involve the fair distribution of equipment from areas 'rich' in donated IT to underdeveloped areas where these items are perhaps more necessary.

Internet Schemes - ISP's providing free internet access to schools.

Tablets are completely unnecessary - however, access to Computers is.

With access to computers and the internet the access to information is unlimited.

An aim of getting at least one computer per-class room is a viable target and much more feasible than tablets.

Dedicated IT Classes and 'computer rooms' is another viable target.

[casualbiker]

I have a great idea,

Can the one tablet per kid and borrow a few billion to pay for free world cup for all, oh and a free movie as well, that'll educate the kids won't it, that show em all about tecnoloyee

Errrm I think that may well have been done huh

A young girl not far from our place say's she can only afford to finish 3rd year high school and will have to work on the farm, yet she is top of her class in each subject,

A friend was told last month if she wants a teaching job it will cost her 700,000 - 800,000 baht, What chance have the kids got?

" A young girl not far from our place say's she can only afford to finish 3rd year high school and will have to work on the farm, yet she is top of her class in each subject,"

If you are talking about M3 then that is 15 years old. If M6 that's about 18 years old. So only 1 year out from the UK were the school leaving age is 16 or 19 (high school)

Many don't go to university but get a job. Although it is easier in the UK to rise in a job than here in Thailand through on job training etc.

That's what's missing here. Decent training!

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[gdringjr]

Properly trained teachers and bring back corporal punishment to get some order in the classroom. Surprising how unruly some Thai classrooms are, not a good learning atmosphere IMO.

Sure. Start beating the children. That would be a giant leap forward.

[jonclark]

I think we'd all be much the wiser if perhaps we had a clear definition of what 'smart' (as a prefix to - library, classroom and school), actually means or entails.

From what I can see it just is a re-branded name for an IT Lab?

[Seastallion]

Half of the teachers are over 50 and there is a huge problem with the education system in Thailand.

So many teachers who have been doing the same thing for 20 + years and have no intention of trying new methods.

Tablets aren't really needed for a smart classroom anyway you can use just computers what is this obsession the Thais have with tablets?

I suspect that it is not a Thai obsession with tablets but someone's potential sales contract for tablets that is behind the original scheme AND the newest proposal. You will note that of the 4 options, he only elaborated on one....the decision is already made, the tablets have to be bought somehow.

[belg]

for 9000 baht, you could have a full PC instead of this shiny mirror ...

[scorecard]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Properly trained teachers and bring back corporal punishment to get some order in the classroom. Surprising how unruly some Thai classrooms are, not a good learning atmosphere IMO.

Not sure about the corporal punishment

But I do agree about unruly, but in many cases this is teachers who have low skills in classroom management, many of these teachers are very passive and timid and this is not likely to change. Plus, very large classes making it even more difficult to manage the students.

In fact many of these students go on to bachelor degree studies and I know from experience their classroom behaviors (many students, not all students) is a nightmare consuming many hours of time which should be used for learning.

In some Thai universities some lecturers (me included) now ban mobile phones, i.pads, notebook computers etc., in the classroom. I also insist that students cannot sit close together, arrive more than 5 minutes late and you cannot enter the classroom, back late from break or lunch and your attendance record is changed from present to absent.

The most frustrating part is that a large % of these students have a solid attitude that study at bachelor level should be just fun, and are very pissed off when their lecturers get serious about the behaviors.

Another frustration - many lecturers today insist on assignments being sent by e-mail rather than on hard copy. This produces another problem with many students who send their work from an e-mail address such as kittynoinarluck@y,,,.com etc. Telling the students to NOT do this just falls on deaf ears, they can't see any problem.

On a positive note, I'm aware that the new Thai 5 year bachelor degree in education has more emphasis on classroom / student management.

Another angle - today in Singapore prospective teachers have serious personal behavioral assessment (not self-assessment) and those who don't pass the behavioral requirements (which ultimately connect to classroom management) are not accepted into teacher training or are encouraged to try for positions in school admin.

[zac5000]

I think it would be hard for thai to accept and do but individual schools should go out and look for a western school or even at classroom level and build an association that would impart similar teaching methods and try to duplicate resources.IE model themselves after these schools.

Many western schools would welome the interaction as part of their learning.

Thai schools have reportedly the worst value education system going and I am sure that the lack of tablets is not the underlying reason.

Do Thailands schools have a performance monitoring system?

Most countries social problems can be solved by at least teaching the upcoming generations what should be happening, such as how to accept democratic rule.

[SanukJoeII]

Properly trained teachers and bring back corporal punishment to get some order in the classroom. Surprising how unruly some Thai classrooms are, not a good learning atmosphere IMO.

Sure. Start beating the children. That would be a giant leap forward.

Not even have to start, it's stil there and one of the major child abuse events of Thailand. Yes, corporal punishment is child abuse. I never hit my kids, then why would I alow to let a teacher hit them? But they do, everywhere, but surely here in Isan, they love it, the sadist teachers!

One way to start is to follow the UN recommendation to establish CFS - Child Friendly Schools, where the students are the middle point and their education is highest on the list of teachers, nothing else.

Send the 50+ teachers on paid leave, get young IT oriented teachers, train them to let students think how to solve a problem, not remember the page where the answer is and how the teacher likes it. Don't do it for them, show them how to do it!

[chainarong]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Properly trained teachers and bring back corporal punishment to get some order in the classroom. Surprising how unruly some Thai classrooms are, not a good learning atmosphere IMO.

Sure. Start beating the children. That would be a giant leap forward.

Surprising the unruly western class rooms are also.

[Luk Mhee]

If generals want to impress us and students with something better,then tablets - they should follow the trend:

today everybody uses phablets,not tablets!

I keep one in my hands now:10inch,4 core,2 sim,3G internet,works like breeze!how much? - 150US only.

They should create nationwide educational network on 3G,school phablets locked into it.Such network can be used

in emergency,like national disasters or...political disasters...or....tsunami....

If they just allocate funds - funds are being stolen in Thailand routeinly from the beginning of time and nothing will

change about it.If they give student a pencil,he will have the pencil,if they give a tablet/phablet - student will have

the phablet,if they allocate funds for whatever - student will get nothing,somebody will get rich.

It would be nice if we can all aford one like you can

[rickirs]

"Handing out tablets to every student meant the device was used just one or two hours a day,"

This is not a technology issue but an EDUCATION issue. In class instruction, projects, and homework involving IT devices of whatever kind is needed and that may require updating the teaching administration on use of IT. Technology is the mainstay of a modern educational environment and development of a modern society. Diversion of funds for the OTPC program to other forms of educational systems will just shift the weakness of Thailand's educational process.

[Luk Mhee]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

How about new school computers with internet and up to date software in all schools. Or newer and more books for their libraries. A higher budget for science and other advanced classes to allow students more fliexability to enhance their imaginations and explore new ideas. Or even teacher training to get students to learn instead of memorizing everything.

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

It might be a good idea to introduce the three RRRs along with your properly trained teachers, however properly trained teachers would have to be brought in from outside at cost , bang there go's the military budget.

If everybody could pay their tax and operating license fee and the people could give back the money that they stole, then “WHAM” there comes the military budget again.

[Gonzo the Face]

If no one has yet mentioned it....... perhaps a good thing as way of a program to replace the 1 child, 1 Tablet program, would be a program of how to repair tablets.

I would just guess that that there are literally thousands of tablets that need repairing , within the school handout system.

Teach a vocation.