Education Ministry had to halt One Laptop Per Child Initiative due to TC Winston - Akbar

The Ministry of Education had to shelve the One Laptop Per Child Initiative because the Ministry had to reprioritise and restrategise because of TC Winston in 2016.

Education Minister, Rosy Akbar made the comments after the question by NFP MP, Lenora Qereqeretabua on why the government for almost 5 years failed to fulfill its 2015 budget policy of providing tablets or laptops as per its objective of ‘one tablet or laptop per child’ to all primary and secondary school students.

Akbar says they had to halt everything to respond to TC Winston because the children were homeless and hungry, sitting in tents on wet floors and the main priority for the government was to put a roof over their heads and books in their hands.

She adds that the Ministry does understand the need for online learning especially when the students are at home now due to closure of schools as a preventative measure for COVID-19 however, other factors needs to be considered such as accessibility, affordability and connectivity that will create a digital gap.

The Minister says this is why they are providing various forms of supplementary education resources so that every child can have access to this during this hard time.

Meanwhile, Qereqeretabua also asked Akbar if, as promised, construction work in Yacata District School has begun. Akbar says that materials have arrived and work in Yacata is in progress.