[kictanet] Laptops for 2014 class 1 entrants - justified

Mon Aug 12 14:41:45 EAT 2013

If there is a policy in place for the last 7 years, then the Ministry of Education and other relevant Government institutions, i.e. Ministry of Ed KICD/KIE should lead the project. In any case, the policy should  not be narrowly focused to laptops and Class 1( 2014) even if it is for a start, as it is. The policy should at least  address computer for all public primary schools, if not secondary schools,  and should be long-term, even if implementation is to narrowed to Class 1 for a start. To be sustainable, the policy should broadly cover the computer for school inline with the government strategic plans.  Its formulation should be consultative and participatory in nature, giving an opportunity to all the stakeholders to be on board. This will enable alignment of the policy implementation  to its formulation at least to benefit all school pupils, not a chosen few. For strategy to be sustainable, it should be about choices, not sacred cows or
 politically driven projects, which often end up to be white elephants resulting into sunk-costs. 
Why Laptops? Why not Computer Labs? Computer labs for every primary school will provide opportunity for sharing from class 1 to class 8. It will be less costly and easier to implement, and feasible to upgrade when required, even if it is to be done in phases. Also the teachers will not be trained  will to teach only class 1. Why train a few teachers to teach only class 1? This is pure waste of resources.
There was a time when the the government wanted to introduce mobile computer labs installed in vehicles, some kind of mobile buses in each constituency. The main argument was that the facility was to be shared by the schools within a constituency. This was being done without considering other challenges such as the nonexistence of or poor road network and nonavailability of electricity in rural areas. Luckily enough this project was abandoned before national resources were wasted. The baby was thrown out with water in basin. Laptops for each child without a classroom makes no senses particularly in rural areas where pupils are learning under trees and writing on the their laps or using dust on the ground as slates.  The laptop idea is noble but the computer labs is a better choice, at least every school may have what can be called a classroom  where there is none. A computer lab may be used not only for computer lessons. Of courser the suppliers of the
 laptops, bet it the Huaweis, ZTEs and the Sonys etc. will definitely support the the idea as they  will not only supply Laptops for Class 1 2014, but come 2015 and the subsequent years, there will be Class 1 every year as they continue with their supplies as Kenyans will be painfully paying as they laugh to the bank.

Regards

VKO

________________________________
 From: Thomas Kamire <tkamire at gmail.com>
To: volunga at yahoo.com 
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> 
Sent: Monday, August 12, 2013 12:59 PM
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Laptops for 2014 class 1 entrants - justified

I have a laptop from 2000 and children nothing. So there is nothing like obsolete. These 3 years story is for corporate work. 

Thanks that is what I thinking have been industry for over 14. 

Sent from my iKamire network. 

On Aug 12, 2013, at 12:48, Mark Mwangi <mwangy at gmail.com> wrote:

I second the thoughts of Lakin in that there is very little explanation as to how any of this is to be done. If the KIE has been working on this for the past 7 years, why are they not leading the conversation? Why are politicians who are clueless the leading experts on this?

Basic figures and where the funding will come from not just saying govt will pay. Its rather hilarious that politicians and even senior officials talk about the government like it is a foreign body that they are not part of. 

Who is the lead on the laptop project and by extension tech in the education sector? The ominous Ministry of Education?

On Mon, Aug 12, 2013 at 12:20 PM, Kivuva <Kivuva at transworldafrica.com> wrote:

Please do a computer laboratory instead. This way, all the school will be covered, and the cost will be low since upgrade will be after say 3 years.
>
> 
>
>______________________
>Mwendwa Kivuva
>twitter.com/lordmwesh
>
>google ID | Skype ID: lordmwesh
>
>
>On 12 August 2013 10:50, robert yawe <robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>
>Hi all,
>>
>>
>>Sony have joined the fray
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>Now that application is definitely ideal for Class 1 and they can afford the Kes. 288 million tender bond.
>>
>> 
>>Robert Yawe
>>KAY System Technologies Ltd
>>Phoenix House, 6th Floor
>>P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
>>Kenya
>>
>>
>>
>>Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
>>
>>
>>________________________________
>> From: Cleophas Barmasai <cbarmasai at gmail.com>
>>
>>To: robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk 
>>Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> 
>>Sent: Monday, 12 August 2013, 10:27
>>Subject: Re: [kictanet] Laptops for 2014 class 1 entrants - justified
>> 
>>
>>
>>That video is really inspiring Robert! It justifies! I think the way to beat obsolescence is to schedule new devices every three years.
>>
>>
>>
>>Sincerely,
>>
>>Cleophas 
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>On Mon, Aug 12, 2013 at 10:06 AM, robert yawe <robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>>When Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1440, only about 30 percent of adult Europeans could read. Before that, most 
people learned from other people, through stories, explanations and 
demonstrations. Books existed, but they were produced by hand, 
painstakingly, one at a time. With books so expensive and rare, only 
those wealthy enough to afford them learned to read.
>>>
>>>
>>>Then the printing press made books and other printed materials readily available, and literacy rates began to climb.
>>> 
>>>Robert Yawe
>>>KAY System Technologies Ltd
>>>Phoenix House, 6th Floor
>>>P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
>>>Kenya
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
>>>
>>>
>>>________________________________
>>> From: robert yawe <robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk>
>>>To: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> 
>>>Sent: Tuesday, 7 May 2013, 18:51
>>>Subject: Laptops for 2014 class 1 entrants - justified
>>> 
>>>
>>>
>>>Hi,
>>>
>>>
>>>Please watch this TED video by a 12 year old developer
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>http://www.ted.com/talks/thomas_suarez_a_12_year_old_app_developer.html?source=facebook#.UYjsqCYrWtt.facebook
>>>
>>>
>>>Regards
>>> 
>>>Robert Yawe
>>>KAY System Technologies Ltd
>>>Phoenix House, 6th Floor
>>>P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
>>>Kenya
>>>
>>>
>>>Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
>>>
>>>
>>>________________________________
>>> From: Crystal Watley Kigoni <crystal at voicesofafrica.org>
>>>To: robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk 
>>>Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> 
>>>Sent: Wednesday, 24 April 2013, 10:25
>>>Subject: Re: [kictanet] Laptops for 2014 class 1 entrants - fears
>>> 
>>>
>>>
>>>In the US, most primary schools have computer labs and secondary school students carry laptops. Why? Young children need exposure as early as possible but a 1 to 1 ratio is overkill. These machines will be obsolete by the time the class one students reach anywhere near class 5 when more serious research projects are started. The effort is in the right place, however there still needs to be more thought into the deployment to maximize return on investment in terms of human capital.
>>>Crystal 
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>>The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
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 standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
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Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/kivuva%40transworldafrica.com
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>>The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>>
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>
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>The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
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-- 
Regards,

Mark Mwangi

markmwangi.me.ke

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