From the beginning it seemed as though the laptop scheme was more of a publicity stunt for the PML-N in the run-up to the elections. It did nothing to take into account the needs of the students. In a province where there are power outages for more than half-the-day, where a lot of students lack basic literacy skills and where there exists a shortage of qualified instructors, gifting students a laptop was not going to solve their need for a sound education. The chief minister would have been far wiser to spend these funds on improving facilities at schools and training more teachers.
Gifting laptops to students is like providing them with a high-speed sports car before they have learned how to drive. The point is not that they can’t find any use for the laptops; simply that there are more crucial tools they need to add to their educational arsenal first. The failure of this scheme provides insight into how government funded plans need to be well thought out and should be implemented keeping in mind the long-term interest of all those concerned instead of short-term glorification.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 6th, 2012.
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O My God: 4 Billion diverted from "Higher Education"? This Laptop Scheme is a classic example of use (rather plunder) of Public money by a ruling party simply for political gains. What is more disturbing is the fact that the Laptops are being distributed, in lavish ceremonies (again on public expense), by politicians affiliated to a single ruling party (PML-N). If its not political stunt, then in what official capacity was Mr. Nawaz Sharif distributing laptops at PU? (Is he MNA, MPA, Senator, CM, PM, VC, what?). He is simply PML-N's leader and that hints at the political motivation of the laptop scheme.
Baseless article!!! because 1 If youth is selling their laptops then their is no one on this planet to groom them if they are not interested 2 Power production and distribution is not provincial responsibility but federal 3 Students may use laptops in case of power outages, dont you know laptops have batteries??? 4 If rich are paying more tax then they have equal right of receiving laptop as others 5 If its from tax payers money then none of the leaders bring reforms from his pocket money 6 If India can provide cheap computers to their students then why it looks to be a sin in Pakistan?????? http://www.techwireasia.com/1429/india-announces-35-tablet-computer-for-rural-poor/ 7 Thanks to your exaggeration that Laptop for students having at least 14 years of education will be just like high speed car to a new driver (Don't worry they will handle it) And at last if it was a publicity stunt I wish that CM should go for many more
Bravo, Express Tribune, for highlighting the aspect of tax payers' money. No doubt with this money all colleges in Punjab would have been provided with computer labs and Wi-Fi campuses!!!!!