Government To Provide Laptops To University Students

There are plans to provide laptops to all first-year university students as the government prepares for the possibility that the Covid-19 pandemic may frustrate the resumption of face-to-face learning.

The government is planning to provide laptops as part of a Post-Covid-19 Economic Recovery Strategy that is being spearheaded by the National Treasury at a cost of 929.5 billion shillings.

The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) has proposed to supply laptops to all new university students at a cost of 5 billion shillings.

It has emerged that with the persistent rise in coronavirus cases, most universities may delay in-person opening for all students and instead continue with online teaching.

According to HELB CEO, Charles Ringera stated that the agency requires  2.5 billion shillings for the first roll-out phase targeting half of the 122,000 First-Year students.

The government is concerned that even though universities have embraced technology by digitizing and uploading course materials to ensure learning continues, a number of students have fallen by the wayside.

Since March, when the institutions were advised to embrace virtual teaching, some students have been unable to attend online classes citing a lack of laptops.

More recently, vice-chancellors revealed that learners were attending online lessons in bars and restaurants where they could get free wireless connections.

Ringera wants over 63,500 needy, marginalized, and vulnerable students who will join universities next year to be prioritized.

500 million shillings has already been set aside for these students to ensure they do not drop out of university due to the digital programs.

According to the Kenya Education Network survey, a non-profit organization that supports research and education institutions – found that only 48 percent of university students own laptops. This means that nearly 300,000 students do not own a computer.

“These laptops will be manufactured by three local universities which already started assembling gadgets for the digital learning program. It will be part of the Buy Kenya Build Kenya project,” Ringera stated.

The government is in talks with suppliers to also reduce the price of laptops to between Ksh 30,000 and Ksh 40,000 to ensure that they are affordable to the other students.

University heads are now pleading with the Ministry of Education to push parents to embrace digital lessons and buy computers for their children.