Opinion split on whether laptops are a priority in schools

The feasibility of a project at the heart of the Jubilee government’s pre-election pledges has come into sharp focus barely a week since the new administration was sworn into office.

Social media has been abuzz with varied discussions on the bold promise by President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy, William Ruto, to give a solar-powered laptop to each pupil joining Class One in public schools starting next year.

In his inauguration speech on Tuesday, President Kenyatta reaffirmed his government’s commitment to honour the pledge.

“We made a promise to our children and we will keep it because we believe early exposure to technology will inspire future innovation and be a catalyst for growth and prosperity,” said President Kenyatta.

But critics, including some campaign advertisements run by the Cord Coalition in the run-up to the General Election, have questioned the feasibility of such an ambitious project considering most school-going children in Kenya lack basic needs such as food and clothes.

Former Education minister Mutula Kilonzo says the government should first develop relevant digital content that will be used by the pupils who will be given laptops.

Mr Kilonzo said it was vital to have the “necessary content” ready before the computers are rolled out next year.

“The laptops will have to be installed with the right software that will be beneficial to the pupils and that will be easier for them to use,” he said.

Mr Kilonzo, now Makueni County Senator, praised the initiative, saying it would expose pupils to technology at an early age.

Secretary-General of the Kenya National Association of Parents Musau Ndunda argues that although the idea was noble, it was not practical in the country for now.

Mr Ndunda cited a 2009 Information and Communication Technology report that showed that 90 per cent of teachers in primary and secondary schools in Kenya were computer illiterate as the first stumbling block.

“We can’t talk about laptops if the teachers themselves are not computer literate,” said Mr Ndunda. “The government should first make computer lessons compulsory to all teachers, then roll out the programme.”

Mr Ndunda also cited the teething problems with implementation of the free primary education programme, saying some loose ends need to be addressed before the initiative is rolled out.

“In 2010, seven years after FPE was started, an audit revealed that 56 million text books valued at Sh5 billion had been stolen,” he said. “In our calculations, this project will cost the government Sh40 billion annually. What will happen to the laptops if security measures are not addressed first?”

But the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Chairman Wilson Sossion said the initiative was viable, adding that it was long overdue.

“This initiative is not targeted at tutors so the question of teachers’ computer literacy should not arise,” said Mr Sossion. On the question of safety of the gadgets, the Knut boss said the Ministry of Education should put up secure computer labs in all schools.
“This is the norm; even when companies supply computers to schools, they ensure first there is a secure lab that has power connections,” he said.

However, innumerable public schools still do not have classroom blocks — some operate under the shade or trees or in poorly constructed classrooms. As a result a computer laboratory would be considered a luxury.

Most public primary schools in rural areas do not have power connection making the options limited since they can only use solar powered laptops if the project is to succeed in these areas.

Using his son and daughter as an example, Mr Sossion, however, maintains the pupils in the public schools should not be left behind on account of hierarchy of needs as the rest of the world moves into the digital age.

In some high-end private schools in Kenya, pupils as young as three are learning using iPads, laptops, and projectors and have discarded the traditional blackboards for interactive white boards.

“My son, who is in nursery school, uses my iPad to download stuff and even google after school. He will not need computer lessons from anyone,” he said.

“My daughter, who has just cleared high school but did not get a chance to use the laptop while she was young, has been forced to enrol in a computer school to learn the basics.”

Mr Sossion said that world-over computers are introduced to children at school entry level.

A Policy Framework for Education and Training of 2011 had projected 600,000 pupils would join Class One in 2012. The promise of free laptops as well as free milk in public schools is expected to push up this number in the coming year to up to one million new enrolments.

And according to former Finance minister Njeru Githae, Treasury was budgeting for laptops valued at between $100 (Sh8,500) and $150 (Sh12,750) a piece.

South Korean electronics manufacturer, Samsung, has already announced they will work with the government to make the promise a reality.

“We are in discussion,” said Samsung’s East Africa Business Leader Mr Robert Ngeru. “They have the budget; we have the products so the discussion now is how the two can meet.”

In August 2011, Samsung launched Netbook NC215S, the world’s first-ever solar-powered laptop in Nairobi. It is currently retailing at Sh35,000.

The laptop has a front cover panel that captures energy from the sun and allows the user to recharge the battery automatically. The gadget weighs 1.3kg and features a slim display rim that’s as thin as a finger.

In addition, Samsung also have a non-solar powered but very rugged primary school level laptop called the Samsung ‘Risa’ Classbook 100N now selling at Sh30,000.

This alternative solution also weighs 1.3kg and can resist a fall up to 70cm and is spill-resistant (200cc), which enables the cost per unit to be significantly lower as the need for replacement units is lowered.

Furthermore, Samsung has a 10-hour battery life – which means that the laptop can last a whole school day, avoiding the need for children to carry a charger.