Education
Campaign to provide free computers and online services for schooling
  • | dtinews.vn | September 13, 2021 12:32 PM
Ministry of Information and Communication and the Ministry of Education and Training have launched a programme to help 1.5 million students who don't have devices to study online during the social distancing period for Covid-19 prevention.

  

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It is estimated that 7.35 million students in 26 provinces and cities cannot go to school and have to take online classes. However, many students with difficult backgrounds and students in rural and mountainous areas do not have devices to study online. One week after the new school year started, the Ministry of Education and Training said there were various difficulties such as weak internet connection, poor quality education apps or lack of hardware.

Nguyen Thi Nhat Hang, director of Binh Duong Department of Education and Training said they intended to hold online classes for the first two months of the school year. However, a recent survey showed that 70,000 out of 500,000 students in the areas lacked the ability to study online.

"We’ve called for funds to help the children and worked with internet providers to improve the connection quality at rental areas for factory workers," she said.

In Binh Phuoc Province, 95,000 out of 259,000 students also do not have any means to study online. The majority of them are in mountainous areas. 76% of the students in Bu Gia Map District cannot study online. This rate was 65% in Loc Ninh, and 62% in Bu Dang districts.

On September 12, the Ministry of Information and Communication collaborated with the Ministry of Education and Training to launch the Internet Connection and Computers for Students Programme. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also attended the ceremony. Leaders of 63 provinces and cities attended the ceremony online.

The programme aims to develop infrastructure for online learning and raise funds for online learning devices. It is hoped to equip all schools with online learning infrastructure. Internet connections will be provided to all families and computers will be provided to all poor and near-poor households.

According to the Minister of Information and Communication Nguyen Manh Hung, the idea for the programme was started from a call with the PM. As of now, one million computers have been donated to the programme. The PM has asked internet service providers to provide services to 2,000 locations that are implementing social distancing rules. The providers will waive all fees for computers in this programme.

Parents will also be able to shop online, conduct online payments and get remote medical consultations.

The PM praised the programme and thanked internet providers, firms, organisations and individuals that have contributed to the programme.

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