Centrino notebooks for 35,000 Malaysian teachers KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry said that 35,000 Malaysian teachers are now equipped with Intel Centrino-based notebooks to help improve their teaching techniques. Reflecting the ministry's goal to integrate technology into Malaysia's primary and secondary school curriculum, the new notebooks will also provide teachers with greater freedom to connect in new places and in new ways, US technology giant Intel Corp said in a statement. The deployment of the 35,000 Intel Centrino mobile technology notebooks is the first phase of the ministry's five-year technology integration plan, which also includes WiFi-enabling all schools........................... The Star

Centrino technology!!!??? WIFI-enable all schools???>..... all this when teachers still cannot speak decent English. Are we missing something here? Provide teachers with greater freedom??... For what...???

I find it difficult to comprehend the intent here. Perhaps I have not grasp the true vision that the Ministry of Education has in store!.. Why are we investing in more expensive CENTRINO technology when we can use cheaper models to achieve similar functions? Do teachers know the basics of personal computing? Should they not grasp that knowledge first before plunging into a costly deal to buy Centrino notebooks and getting WIFI access?... I think dial-up access will suffice for most schools and cheaper computers will perform to task what has been planned!

I agree that technology is important and rather than equipping the teachers , we ought to equip the students and the schools with the necessary computing power. Teachers could do with some initiative to get a computer themselves and learn. We are trying to emulate developed countries with huge cash reserves but on the other hand, we do not have the cash resources and the expertise. Yet we disguise ourselves in hardware to mask our insufficiencies and project a false image of progress..

I feel this bitter as basic equipment in healthcare , like glucometers are unavailable due to budgetary contraints. One would only cost between $200-400. Even simple stationary like files and educational posters are in short supply. Most clinics too have old computers that we try to make do with. These computers have been increasingly important for managing expanding patient registers. Even an attempt at getting a defibrillator machine in an emergency unit was turned down due to "no budget".

Yet we find the Government spending in unnecessary Centrino technology!! I can only sigh in disbelief!