Monday, June 3, 2013

Laptops a waste of taxpayers' money, say MPs

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Primary school pupils use laptops during a lesson. Photo/FILE
Primary school pupils use laptops during a lesson. Photo/FILE 
By ELISHA OTIENO and MUCHIRI GITONGA newsdesk@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Sunday, June 2  2013 at  15:25
Seven MPs have opposed the laptops project for primary schools saying it was a waste of public resources and was not a priority.
The lawmakers; Junet Mohammed (Migori East), Peter Kaluma (Homa Bay), Milly Odhiambo (Mbita), Augustino Netto (Ndhiwa), Ababu Namwamba (Budalang’i) and Denittah Ghati (Migori County Women Representative) said Kenyan parents want hiring of 60,000 teachers to address staff shortage and construction of modern classrooms.
The leaders said teachers also needed to be paid their promised pay rise.
The leaders who spoke in Migori Town said laptops could not be given to hungry children learning under trees who did not have books and other learning materials.
“This is a deal meant to benefit a few people in the corridors of power. Although laptops are necessary for our children, they are not a priority,” said Mr Mohammed.
He said the Sh60 billion set aside for the laptops project was enough to do address other pressing issues in the education sector and told teachers not to accept them before their salaries are increased.
Mr Namwamba described the current teachers’ salaries as “a national shame that was responsible for the brain drain” in the country.
“Most of them are seeking jobs in foreign countries because they want to lead a decent life,” he asserted.
Mr Namwamba said Cord will continue to play its watchdog role to make sure the Jubilee administration fulfils its campaign pledges.
Elsewhere, Laikipia East MP Anthony Mutahi said the laptop project would be a waste of resources.
“Instead of the government spending all that money it should build computer laboratories in every school to enhance information and communication technology among all students,” the MP, who is also a member of the parliamentary committee on Education said.
He stated that while the government’s initiative to enhance ICT should be supported, Kenyans must ensure such projects are effective.
“When you give Standard One pupils laptops what will happen to the rest in other classes? Will they wait for eight years and get to secondary school for them to learn computers? It’ll be a waste of money,” the MP said at Inooro Secondary School in Nanyuki over the weekend.

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