HCM City speeds up investment to modernise schools
By 2015, 412
kindergartens and 194 primary schools would be equipped with the
whiteboards. The investment will expand to secondary and junior high
schools by 2020.
The city has allocated 740 billion
VND (35 million USD) for purchases between 2011 and 2020. Subsidies of
50 percent will be given to schools that decide to buy the whiteboard
system.
Schools located in disadvantaged districts
including Binh Chanh and Can Gio will receive a full subsidy from the
city government.
At a recent workshop held by the
department, deputy head Le Hoai Nam said the system would improve the
quality of teaching English at schools.
Under the
policy, each primary school would invest in three interactive whiteboard
systems, including one electronic touch board, one projector and one
laptop.
Each kindergarten would receive one whiteboard system, he added.
Many primary schools and kindergartens in the city have been using these interactive whiteboards for many years.
Dinh Thien Can, head of the educational division in District 1, said
15 kindergartens and 16 primary schools in the district were equipped
with electronic touch boards.
Teaching aid
Le Thi Ngoc Diep, principal at Nguyen Binh Khiem Primary School, said
this was a teaching aid that makes classes more exciting and
interesting.
Parents have noticed the effectiveness of the boards and have offered money to help pay for the boards.
Le Tan Loc, teacher at Minh Dao Primary School in District 1, said
that his school also uses interactive boards as teaching aids in classes
of history, geography, English, math and literature.
The boards have a large interactive display that connects to a
computer and a projector that projects the computer desktop on the
boards' surface where users control the computer using a pen, finger,
stylus or other device.
Nguyen Quang Vinh, head of
the department's Primary Education Division, said the department's
survey showed the system had helped teachers become more effective in
their jobs and improve students' learning results.
Truong Thi Viet Lien, deputy head of the department's pre-school
education division, said the boards should be used for children aged
five and above. She said they can develop music and art skills.
Some kindergartens have declined the subsidy of 50 percent of total money for buying the system.
A representative of a kindergarten in District 6 said the price of a
system is 181 million VND (8,619 USD) and they could not afford the
remaining 50 percent of the cost.-VNA