The government of Kenya is set to inject some Sh50 billion in January 2013 on class one kids (4-6 year old) to fulfill its pre-election pledge.
According to a report by The Standard, the Sh50 billion won’t even be enough if the government will buy software and academic applications for the over 1.5 million pupils expected to start school early net year.
Market prices for solar-powered laptops cost over Sh35,000 according to Samsung Electronics. The estimates however, do not put into account price fluctuations and that the prices might go up by the time of the purchase or go down-but this is unexpected.
The Government which is silent on the date and procedure of procurement, promised that every pupil joining Standard One in Kenya next year will receive a solar powered laptop. Most of this kids come from homes where parents barely afford a meal a day. Several kids schools in the country still have class under tress, yet others have to walk miles to reach the nearest school. To them, the laptop programme might be the least of things on their priorities before they get food, clothing and shelter.
According to the World Bank, Kenya’s poverty level stood at 44 to 46 per cent last year May, a level it has been at for the last six years with 50 percent of the over 40 million people living under the poverty line.
Poverty should not be an obstacle to kids receiving free solar-powered lapyops but analysts think the laptops might not improve the education system or help kids forget the predicament they will have to go through while at home, especially those from poor single parents.
The money is not the center of the debate but the impact computers will have on kids who have not not been able to gasp even the crap they learn under their mango tree classrooms.
Another problem is how and at much is he government is going to raise funds from to buy computers.
Some teachers from rural areas also have to learn to use of ICT before they can teach their pupils.
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