Sensible to change the laptop policy

Please, someone, tell me, is that a reason to spend taxpayers’ money wantonly and distribute laptops haphazardly? That programme was a colossal waste of resources done with the chief aim of garnering political support. It was a populist move and another of the excessives and vanity projects of that government.

Had the former maladministration consulted with the IT technicians and teachers a vastly different, meaningful approach would have been adopted.

But then again that would not float someone’s boat.

We have a political culture whereby intent and actions are justified because other countries have done so. A copycat, knee jerk system. The distribution of laptops should have been done on a needs basis.

That could have been ascertained quite easily on registration day.

There is also a downside to that because in many instances the needy ones do not have access to the Internet at home. Be that as it may, the next logical step was to expand and upgrade the IT rooms in schools. Also, there was a need for all classrooms to be wi-fi compliant.

Did those things happen? I can testify without fear of contradiction to the abuse and misuse of the laptops.

In spite of all the safeguards built and added into the computers, students were still able to bypass them and load unto their computers all manner of obscenities, games etc. And you know what? The students who did those things already had computers at home.

I am in full support of the Ministry of Education’s change in policy and I look forward to a more enhanced, efficient and effective programme that would redound to the ultimate benefit of the students.

Sahadeo Ragoonanan via email