Ministry sets tablet price at Bt2,400

The ministry has been discussing the content that will be put on tablets for both primary and secondary levels as well as non-formal education centres, especially since the education minister wants students at all levels to be able to use the devices, Sasithara Pichaichannarong said. The ministry also plans to experiment on creating teaching materials, hence the ministry will use its own budget to purchase 40 tablets – 10 each for primary and secondary levels and 20 for non-formal education – and will propose the setting up of a content-screening committee, she added. 

Previously, the ministry decided to create content for Prathom-1 students and assigned the job to the Software Industry Promotion Agency (SIPA), Sasithara said. So far, e-textbooks for five subjects, namely science, maths, Thai and English language as well as social studies have been created along with 350 learning tools. She said e-textbooks would occupy half of the tablets’ 8GB memory, which means students will still have enough space available for homework. Otherwise, she said, the ministry could use this space to provide lessons on morality and ethics. 

Meanwhile, Information and Communications Technology Ministry and other related agencies will survey schools to see which are technologically ready. The schools will be divided into three categories: the green group being those that have an Internet connection; the yellow group being those with electricity but a weak Internet connection; and the red group comprising 200 schools that have no electricity. The tablets will be delivered in three lots from May onwards starting with the green group, she said, adding that officials will also survey the school areas to see if there are any tablet-repairing facilities. 

“No matter how much money the government has set aside for buying the tablets, it has to provide as much money for training teachers and hiring administrative staff, otherwise the project will fail,” Asst Prof Chalermchai Boonyaleepun, president of the Srinakharinwirot University (SWU), warned.

He cited an ongoing study being conducted to observe the impact of similar projects found that most countries that had distributed tablets to their students without first preparing the teachers had failed to achieve proper results. 

Since spending more than half of the budget on preparing teachers and administration staff as part of its pilot project had proved a success, Chalermchai said the Education Ministry should do the same when handing out tablets on a national scale. 

He said teachers’ understanding of the correct usage of the tablets and good content were more important than just distributing the devices. 

“The government should consider the study’s results and pay attention to the recommendations before making a decision on the distribution of the tablets,” he added. 

“Former education minister Woravat Auapinyakul had told SWU that he would consider the results once the study has been completed,” he said, adding that he was not sure if Suchart Thadathamrongvej would continue with what Woravat had agreed to do.

He said the lecturers had yet to conclude the study and make recommendations because it would take time to decide how the tablet would affect students’ health, behaviour and learning habits, as well as the impact it would have on teachers, directors, parents and people in surrounding communities.

“If they find that the tablets are beneficial, they will urge the ministry to go ahead with distributing the devices and provide guidelines on developing the project. However, if they find the devices more harmful, they will urge the government to stop distributing the tablets,” Chalermchai said.

The study should be concluded by May this year.