Hej
Regeringens satsning på surfplattor till eleverna backas upp av experterna i en artikel i dagens Babgkok Post, det verkar lovande tycker jag.
Kanske blir det den succe regeringen hoppades på?
Mvh isan Lover
Experts back school tablet PCs
Scope computers 'meet quality, safety levels'
46Share
The tablet PCs to be given to Prathom 1 children (first-graders) starting next school term are of acceptable quality and safety standards but how they will be used and their content remain a concern, leading technology experts say.
Loggingon to learning
A student tries his hand at computerbased learning during an Education Ministrysponsored exhibition showcasing national educational development efforts ahead of the launch of the Asean Economy Community in 2015. The exhibition runs until today in Halls 1 and 2 at Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani.
Pansak Siriruchatapong, director of the National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, said the specifications of the tablets matched the price of US$81 (2,482 baht) apiece.
Shenzhen Scope Scientific Development Co (Scope) was selected on Monday by a government panel to supply 900,000 tablet computers for first-graders in primary schools.
The company offered the lowest prices among four bidders, all of them Chinese companies.
"There is nothing to worry about in terms of safety. Students may normally not be allowed to charge the battery by themselves," Mr Pansak said, adding that the tablets have six hours of battery life _ enough for use in study time.
He said there were still questions about how to best maximise tablet use among students and how to measure learning results.
Pathom Indarodom, general manager of ARIP Plc, the organiser of Commart Thailand, a computer and technology trade show, said Scope's tablet price is adequate considering the specifications. But the government should make public the content and applications that will come preloaded on the devices.
He urged the government to encourage development of educational content and mobile applications, a market which is expected to be valued at 2 billion baht this year, up from 200 million baht last year.
The Information and Communications Technology Ministry did not ask the cabinet at its meeting yesterday to approve the contract with Scope as earlier planned.
ICT Minister Anudith Nakornthap said he had decided to hold off on presenting the contract as an extraordinary agenda item that could attract criticism. He will instead propose it as a regular agenda item at next week's cabinet meeting or the week after.
A source from the Education Ministry said almost everybody on the tablet committee had preferred the units proposed by Huawei Technologies Co. But the company wanted $135 per tablet, far more than the three other bidders.
TCL Cooperation had offered to sell its tablets for $89 each and Haier Information Technology (Shenzhen) Co had offered $105.
"The committee members who visited China early this month mostly preferred Huawei's tablet PCs because of their additional functions and better look compared to the others," the source said.
All four companies' tablet PCs met the panel's specifications.
All of the tablets passed tests, such as touch screen response, battery heat and duration and a 50-cm drop test on a stone floor.
Then, delivery conditions and insurance were considered.
As the budget was too low too buy Huawei's $135 tablets, the Scope bid was considered the best choice.
"A good thing is never cheap. If you ask me, I would like to buy a Huawei-brand tablet for my child," the source said .
Education Minister Suchart Thada-Thamrongvech said the government plans to hand out tablet computers to Mathayom 1 (Grade 7) students in the next academic year.
"The ministry will provide Mathayom 1 students tablets in the next academic year 2013, or sooner," he said.
Tablets will be distributed to Prathom 1 students this year and they will be able to keep them for themselves after three years of use.
Students will be allowed to take the devices home.
