A Note To The Minister of Education: No, Tim, You're Wrong.

Submitted by Taran Rampersad on Fri, 08/27/2010 - 09:46

 

According to this Trinidad Express article:

EDUCATION Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh says the $83 million to provide laptops for successful Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) pupils is not as exorbitant as some people believe.

He said the cost worked out to approximately $4,000 per computer, which had a number of special features, and Government was able to lower costs by eliminating the middle man...

Nonsense1. First of all, $4,000 a laptop is exorbitant for laptops for children - that equates to roughly $625 U.S. per laptop. The 'special features' really aren't that special - they are customizations of existing software that can be done with a few clicks of a button. There are really no 'special features'. So, remember '$625 U.S.' and check pricing for individual laptops on Amazon.com. 'Special features'? 

I suppose you don't realize that we have the specifications for the tender (available in this post).

Furthermore, who supports Hewlett-Packard in Trinidad and Tobago? Someone mentioned the Gillette Group (remember Lindsay Gillette?) but I haven't found evidence of that. Who will be maintaining them locally?  Has the Government really eliminated the middle man? Or has the Government simply hidden the middle man? 

Further in the article: 

...On the controversy surrounding the cost, Gopeesingh said it was being fuelled by agents of computer manufacturers...

Not to my knowledge. It instead is being fueled by common sense, something that seems completely missing in this People's Partnership campaign promise that everyone in Trinidad and Tobago will pay for. I'm not an agent for a computer manufacturer - full disclosure. Heck, I'm not even interested in selling hardware in Trinidad and Tobago - especially if the country is about to get a flood of computing power that will arguably decrease Trinidad and Tobago's ability to subsidize its own IT development - which wasn't that strong to begin with. If you don't understand that, Tim, go ask Winston Dookeran what I'm talking about. Let him defend your laptops in that context.

And more:

...Questioned about the estimated cost of the project of 45 million dollars which he gave on July 15, Gopeesingh said this figure was only for the hardware costs. He said the additional software systems was what accounted for the increase in cost...

Again, Mr. Gopeesingh, you forget that we've gotten our hands on a copy of the requirements specifications (available in this post). And that because you didn't define the software requirements because you have no idea how these laptops will be integrated into the existing Educational systems, you made the whole thing quite open to being floated in price. Was that on purpose? 

No, Tim. I write, "Nonsense"1. Quit insulting our intelligence with politics and start being a Minister of Education.

1 A stronger word came to mind but I'm trying to be... diplomatic.

Blog: 
ICT
Ministry of Education
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Tim Gopeesingh

Comments

Submitted by Marlon on Fri, 08/27/2010 - 11:39.
A laptop policy hacked!!!

I cannot understand how, a government who campaigned on transparency, and on listening to us, they can just go ahead with this foolish policy, when all and sundry have indicated clearly that this is a bad policy. It has been said that the better thing to do was to equip each school with computer labs, in this way the use of computers will be a monitored and guided process with clearly defined goals. But it seems that the government's agenda overrides public outcry, once again.

However, considering that the Government has in fact gone ahead with this policy. There is but another issue related to cost, the President of Gayana also has proposed giving Laptops to students. The following article shows that the cost of those laptops will not cost what we are paying, but then again, ours are of enhanced capabilities.