Survey: ‘Laptops project welcome, but not priority’

By WACHIRA KIGOTHO

The opinion of Kenyans on whether the Government should implement the proposed ‘laptops for Class One’ programme remains divided, according a research report released on Tuesday.

While most Kenyans support the idea as noble, many feel laptops were not a priority compared to other pressing needs for the Class One pupils including classrooms, teachers, core textbooks and school feeding programmes.

“There were very strong opinions the economy may not sustain the programme,” said CPS Research International lead researcher Dann Mwangi during the release of the Basic Education Study report, on Tuesday .

Besides, some respondents argued it would be prudent if the Government constructed school computer labs where all pupils in a school would access to IT.

Overwhelming support

Those who supported the laptop project include 57.3 per cent of the general public interviewed and 51.6 per cent of university students. Even then, the project took a beating from secondary school students as only 48 per cent supported it.

“Opponents of the project thought it was an overambitious endeavour at the expense of more deserving and pressing issues,” it says.

However, the project is very popular among primary school pupils as 80 per cent of those interviewed  supported it.