EDUCATION

MY ADVICE TO THE GOVERNMENT ON THE LAPTOP PROJECT
Now that we are almost certain standard one pupils are finally going to receive the much hyped laptops, there are serious issues to look at before the project is formerly implemented.
First, do not issue laptops to children with no classrooms to learn from, desks, teachers or even food. The kids in Turkana and Marsabit and other arid regions will not smile on that blinking screen with an empty stomach, neither will they feel secure (they have never had security anyway) on temporary classrooms with ragged iron sheets. They will fail to understand why the government of the day has always inverted its priorities totally disregarding their most basic of needs.
Secondly, ensure there is constant power supply in these rural schools. Actually, this should be complete by now .Provide alternative sources of energy to those that fall outside the grid .Ensure all the modalities are properly put in place to assure the general safety of the kids and teachers regarding handling of electricity and laptops. This will in turn give birth to a smooth implementation of the project harmoniously across the country. We want to avoid a situation where the project will first focus on urban areas leaving the rural areas to continue languishing in information darkness.
Lastly, the government must put on proper infrastructure for continuous repair of laptops and projectors. Laptops are fragile and prone to defects especially when they are used by children. If  this is not done, the project might stall in the first term of implementation. Concerning the memory of the laptops, 320 GB  for standard one kids is too much and unnecessary, one wonders what bulk of data processing will be taking place in class one beyond simple arithmetic’s and typing short word documents? At least 40 GB would have allowed for purchase of more laptops or even train more teachers. Although the all project is a collective responsibility, a lot depends on the seriousness with which the government handles it lest it becomes counterproductive.