Intel promise 7 years ago of PCs replacing pens and paper becomes a reality
View(s):By Quintus Perera
US-based Intel Corp. held a promise to the entire world that school books, the pen and the paper would someday be replaced with a computer. The fulfillment of this promise has been the introduction of Classmate PC.
The Business Times (BT), then Financial Times recalled the pledge made by Amar Badu, Intel South Asia, Managing Director, Sales and Marketing, Intel Corporation, almost seven years ago in Bombay (Page 9, Financial Times of 15/1/2006) to equip the future school kids with slate sized computers sans heavy over-sized bags hung over their backs.
He then said that though there is no time frame to produce such a laptop, students studying management and accountancy course are already using laptop computers. He was then (in 2006) speaking at the launch of the new “Napa’ notebook with Centrino Duo technology at the Taj Lands End Hotel, Bombay.
This dream comes true year after year and Intel in collaboration with the Ministry of Education is steadily progressing on its programme of ‘Empowering the Next Generation’ – Intel Education Initiative Sri Lanka” to create economic and social opportunities for all where Intel supports the government to improve the quality with a holistic model for education transformation. In gradually fulfilling this transformation Intel has already donated over 600 Classmate PCs to schools around the country under this programme.
At a function held last week in Colombo to show the progress, the performance of the Uva Province was reviewed.
Indika de Zoysa, Country Business Manager, Intel Sri Lanka said that the Intel World Ahead Programme aims to enhance lives by accelerating access to uncompromised technology for everyone, anywhere in the world.
He said that in Sri Lanka they work closely with the government and since 2006 the Intel Teach Teacher professional development programme has trained 25,000 teachers touching the lives of 800,000 students across the country which adds up to 10 per cent of the teachers, 15 per cent of the schools and 20 per cent of students. He said that since 2008 Intel has sponsored 21 students to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) in the USA and six students have won awards at this Fair.
On the sidelines of the function Mr de Zoysa told the BT that countries like Argentina and Portugal by now have reached almost 100 per cent computer knowledge penetration. He said that the intention of Intel is to provide every student in the world with a laptop computer which would precisely serve the purpose of learning and teaching in the school.
He said that in the Classmate PC there is ample safety measure in built for the student not to misuse it for other purposes and said that the system is so carefully made where what the student does in the computer could be monitored by the teacher.
Mr de Zoysa said the donations of these PCs to schools would be continued throughout the country and they are studying as to how these laptops could be provided to every student. He said that sometimes these could be offered to students under a governmen subsidized scheme like the free distribution of school books.
The entire event has projected the performances of the Uva Province and Shashindra Rajapaksa, Chief Minister, Uva Province speaking as chief guest gave statistics of the Uva Province on the progress made under this programme in the Uva province schools.When Mr de Zoysa was asked whether the Uva Province has been preferentially treated, he answered in the negative and said that there was no such preferential treatment but as Uva Province has been considered to be extremely backward they have paid little more attention to that province; otherwise it is a part of the countrywide programme.
He assured that Intel is working to introduce extremely low cost computers for students, and this would not be far away. He said the Classmate PC could be purchased in the open market at a cost of Rs 40,000.
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