ICT in schools

Short talk: I'm supposed to be doing my dissertation now....... will resume after finishing this post.


2 pieces of news caught my eyes today. First it was the Govt telling GLCs (Government-linked Companies) to do their bit for rural schools.


Citing Telekom Malaysia as an example, there were 2 points worthy to note from it. It is particularly useful for Project MORSEHack I thought.

• TM has provided broadband to schools (although the quality of it is subject to debate)
• A group of students from Universiti Multimedia (MMU) will stay with their adopted families from within these schools and volunteer their services to the community here.

I think it would be particularly useful if Project MORSEHack also includes a volunteer program at its centres so that students who wants to learn more about

• assembling computers
• linux usage
• possibly a bit of programming

can learn more about it from these various workshops. Other than looking good on their CV, it would also help reduce the burden of cost of running the project.

Do you have any opinions on this?

The second news that caught my eyes was this:
It says that despite the government's spending of over RM100,000 on computer labs, it is not utilised to the max. Well this is where the program could help them.

It is possible that, with the cost reduction in getting the coms and saving a bug chunk from using free software, the school authorities can spend the budget allocated to them on things like printer cartridges and papers.

Servicing the computer takes months and costs so much through official channels. However, it takes less than two hours to service it at the local computer shop at a tenth of the cost. [Source: The Star]

I'm pretty intrigued by this statement. What are the types of servicing needed?

The biggest challenge I can think of is the cathode-ray tube monitor. Until now, I think handling and repairing it is still the biggest computer hazard. Are there any effective ways to reduce the breakdown of these monitors?

Another common scenario is computers being supplied but schools not having electricity. In rural areas, there are generators but no fuel. [Source: The Star]

This is probably the next biggest challenge. But it is on the side of the school. To be eligible for the project I think it is the responsibility of the school to prove that they really have the infrastructure to accommodate these computers.

Minimum requirements should be set:

• A suitable room which can hold the amount of computers.
• Electricity being available in the room.
• A good internet connection to the room.

I think these are the challenges that the project might face.

Honestly, it's a tough job but I can see it happen. What do you think?





References:

1. Do your bit for rural schools, GLC told, The Star, 30 April 2007.
2. ICT failure in schools, The Star, 29 April 2007.