Popularizing Tablets in Thailand's Education Sector

SGGP 09/19/2023 06:27

Thailand's Ministry of Education is preparing to revive a program that provides every student and teacher nationwide with a tablet computer to promote equal opportunities in education.

Thai primary school students use their assigned tablets. Photo: BANGKOK POST

The program was first implemented during the Pheu Thai government 10 years ago.

According to the Bangkok Post, the plan is one of several announced by Education Minister Gen. Permpoon Chidchob and Deputy Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul. The goal, the education ministry said, is to boost students' learning spirit. Gen. Permpoon Chidchob said each student will be provided with a tablet to reduce the disparity in educational opportunities across many regions of Thailand, while increasing the number of students and teachers with access to technology.

If the current budget is not enough, it will borrow money to implement the program. The ministry also plans to reduce the curriculum burden on teachers and education staff, allow them to return to their hometowns, eliminate the purchase of positions and solve the problem of teachers' debt.

The “one student, one tablet” program was first proposed by the government of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in 2011. Distribution of tablets to 860,000 first-graders began in mid-2012 with a budget of 1.7 billion baht (nearly $48 million). At the time, there was considerable skepticism about the program’s cost and practicality.

The durability of the low-cost tablets has also been questioned. A survey by Thailand’s National Statistics Office (NSO) after the first year identified some problems, including faulty devices and poor handwriting skills. However, most executives and teachers said they were generally satisfied with the policy. Teachers found the tablets particularly effective in improving language skills, both English and Thai.

Former Democrat MP Suchatvee Suwansawat supports the use of modern technology to support learning and reduce educational inequality, but remains hesitant about the plan. He suggested that the Ministry of Education should refrain from providing tablets to very young children, as they need to develop social interaction skills first. Deputy leader of the opposition Forward Forward Party, Sirikanya Tansakan, echoed the view that technological devices can enhance the learning process, but stressed that teachers also need to be proficient in using them.

Tablet procurement must be done carefully and transparently to ensure that the devices meet quality standards. Equal and equitable distribution of funding across schools across the country is also important to promote educational equity.

As for Thai IT companies, they support the Ministry of Education’s plan; and propose a suitable strategy on device specifications, suitable curriculum, and the most suitable skills for students. According to experts, different device specifications can serve different purposes and uses, while supporting a variety of online and offline educational content. In addition, devices for teachers need to have higher specifications than those for students.

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