BLINDSIDED BY CONTROVERSY

Jul 25, 2011 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

It is rather unfortunate that the controversy that has erupted over the award of a contract to supply computers for school laboratories in Guyana, should detract from a most important initiative.
The government must be blamed for the manner in which it has dealt with the controversy.
A press conference is not the way to deal with such issues. Rather, there should have been a more detailed investigation launched into the issues raised.
The biggest problem the PPP faces is a particular mindset which views any criticism as being unworthy and any action taken by the administration as being cast in stone and therefore cannot be undone. But this is what happens when a certain level of immaturity is allowed free rein.
In not adequately addressing the concerns raised by this newspaper, the government has allowed a very good initiative to become embroiled in a controversy, thereby detracting from the gains which can be had from the establishment of computer laboratories in Guyana.
Within the next two years, there is going to be a computer in every home. Every single household in Guyana is going to have a computer with internet access.
This will make Guyana the only country in the world with such a record.
One of the criticisms made about the One Lap Top per Family Project is that instead of giving out computers to every family who could not afford their own, computers should have been placed in the schools.
The fact is that there was always a plan to ensure that there were computers in every school and the controversial contract which is being highlighted in this newspaper was all part of that plan to ensure computer laboratories in every school so that even the poorest of children would have access in school.
Having a computer in every home would be a wonderful thing for all families. It means that the long lines at the telephone and electricity companies will one day be a thing of the past since persons would be able to pay their utility bills at home.
It means you can now shop for cheaper goods online. It means poor children who previously had to stand in line at the National Library just to research their homework would be able to do so in the comfort of their home and have more time and thus access to more sources to complete their assignments.
It means that citizens will be connected to each and to their friends and relatives outside of Guyana through the internet and through social networks.
But what happens when the children have to go to school. The parents are not going to allow the children to take their computers to school. This is why there is urgent need for computer laboratories in every school.
Many schools already have such labs, but there are still hundred others without. Some of the schools with labs have built these through their own initiative. Others have been dependent on the government.
As such the recent award of a contract to supply computers represents an important step towards ensuring that all schools have computer laboratories so that the children can be exposed from an early age to information technology.
This exposure is so critical if Guyana is to survive in the modern world. Our citizens are going to be left behind unless there is an increased rate of computer literacy.
And to improve this rate, there is a need to ensure that all the labs are established as quickly as possible so that the children at the beneficiary schools can access the computers from the first day that school reopens.
This is why it is important the government settles this controversy concerning the award of the contract and not adopt an arrogant and don’t care attitude towards the spending of public funds.

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