Laptop Policy, Hacked!!!

One thing we must commend the government for is its attempt to give kids the best opportunities to become well rounded and educated students. Computers do play a valuable role in children’s education, as demonstrated here but this must not be done in an ad hoc manner. The new government had indicated that they would take into consideration what we have to say on anything they propose to do/implement. Well, from all that I have heard on this issue, and I have heard plenty and then some. Most are saying that this is not the best option and almost everyone has proposed instead that the schools be equipped with IT labs.  In this article, William Lucie-Smith outlines why SEA laptops is a very poor idea (I endorse this).

By having IT labs in EVERY school instead of laptops for SEA students each child will have access in a (most important) controlled and guided environment. This way the real aim and objective will be achieved. But it seems that this government, like the previous, believes that they "know it all". Well, could someone please inform them that I hope they know also that they will be removed if they are intent on doing as they wish.

Lets look at what we are actually getting via this so called free laptops. The cost of Laptops have moved from an initial estimate of 45m to a new cost 83m, just under 100% increase. The state is now providing 20,400 instead of the initial 17,250, an increase of 3,150 machines. Each Laptop including whatever accessories will cost 4,068.63 (83,000,000. / 20,400). However, if we were to look at the increased machines we can determine that each additional machine will cost us 12,063.50.

Some of the specs for these “super machines” includes:

Improved bandwidth from 3G to 5G,

Faster processing & hard speeds,

Improved wireless capability,

Bluetooth (wireless) connectivity,

Larger internal storage,

Extended battery life,

Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007

Learning Essentials 2.0 for Microsoft Office.

In relation to possible theft, the Minister of education indicated that “From the time you steal these laptops we will have a process of locking off connectivity immediately,” he said. Tracer markers will be put on the computers to locate them. How does this work, I would really like to understand this, because if you look off connectivity, how can you then trace them.

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I cannot see the above specs being so much of a great boast, almost any computer you can buy today has these features and as for the security function to prevent unauthorised use, this too can be done without any additional software as most machines comes with such features where parents for example can have “parental control” to prevent certain activities and where an advance user can configure certain security controls to prevent unauthorised use. Wow, are we really getting something more?

This 83,000 million annual expenditure (which WILL increase) does not include cost which may arise from maintenance, theft, damage/repairs. I must therefore ask, why did the Minister not go the way of having IT labs in each school. In who’s benefit has the Minister decided to purchase Laptops which will be given to students to take home.

I tend to question every single thing that a Government does, and I question this also, I hope that some real answers can be forwarded instead of the rubbish that has been spewed thus far.