Feasibility before tabs: Thilanga

• Says success should be measured before colossal Rs. 5 b in public funds spent

United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) lawmaker Thilanga Sumathipala yesterday called on the Government to commence a pilot project to assess the practicality of providing tablet PCs for Advanced Level students.

Thilanga Sumathipala

The proposal, which has been in the works for some time, was given Cabinet approval recently. The project is expected to cost about Rs. 5 billion, and has been criticised as a waste of Government resources by education experts, who have pointed out the funds could be used for far more useful and important tasks in the education sector.   

“First we have to look whether this project is practically viable. Therefore I think we have to see the results of the pilot project, then decide whether to scale up,” he told reporters at his residence.

Sumathipala said implementing projects for the entire country could waste huge amounts of public funds, and a pilot project would help to improve the quality of the project.

He noted the Government should reconsider the quality and durability of the tab before importing. He pointed out that the software being used for tabs could be outdated fast, leading to a huge loss of funds.

“Any digital device in the market will be outdated within six months, therefore we have to consider the manufacture date and the model of the tabs the Government is going to import,” he added.

He pointed out if the Government is considering importing tabs, the project should not be delayed and they should consider the latest model to prevent introducing outdated technology for students.

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