Education Ministry to Distribute 1.5mn Gadgets to Schools

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Education and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy explained the government will hand out gadgets to schools in underdeveloped regions as his ministry's program of education digitization.

“We will distribute some 1.5 million gadgets for schools in the frontier, outermost, and underdeveloped regions (3T). We will start [the distribution] in October,” said Muhadjir after opening a Seminar Majapahit in National Museum, Thursday, August 29.

The gadget, in the form of tablet pc, will be installed with an integrated online learning program developed by the ministry dubbed Rumah Belajar (House of Learning). Muhadjir said the platform will feature attractive learning contents.

“The free platform is named Rumah Belajar. We have developed it for two years. The contents are quite interesting and sufficient,” he added. “But, we don’t close chances if there are paid platforms willing to enter, we will entrust it to the school.”

Muhadjir continued that this year's digitization program would be financed through the school operational funds or BOS Afirmasi for 3T regions and BOS Kinerja for schools with good performance.

“The initial amount will be 1.5 million tablet pc to introduce virtual or cyber realm as a source of learning as suggested by the President. We will later increase the number,” Muhajir said, adding that he eyed 10 million gadgets by next year.

He added that his side had cooperated with Communication and Informatics Ministry (Kominfo) in light of the internet issue.

“We have coordinated with Kominfo and have reported which schools need the network, and by chance, Kominfo has a big program on the matter,” Muhadjir said. 

MOH KHORY ALFARIZI