Thanks to funding from the European Union Latvian schools have received more than 25 000 portable computers for the needs of 7th to 9th graders. However, as of the end of April approximately 26% or six to seven thousand of those computers remain unused, as reported by TV24 programme STOPkadri.
During the programme participants said they are confused as to why many of those computers remain unused.
Two years ago President Egils Levits, then the Minister of Education and Science Ilga Šuplinska, other ministers, the Association of Local Governments, as well as members of the Saeima signed a cooperation memorandum Dators ikvienam bērnam [A computer for every child]. The goal of the project was to provide appropriate computers to all teachers and children by the year 2025.
The president said at the time: “This is not just a procurement of computers, it is a system: it means that computers are bought, replaced after some time, maintenance is provided, as well as the option to learn to how to use a computer.”
To commence implementation of the commitment backed by the memorandum, a procurement was announced. As a result of the two-level procurement Baltijas Informacijas Tehnonologijas LLC received the right to supply computer equipment. A total of EUR 10.5 million was spent on the first stage of the procurement.
In the beginning of 2023 approximately 550 Latvian schools received 25 000 Chrome Book portable computers as part of the 7th-9th grade digitisation. This number is not enough to provide 41% of children of this age group with computers. However, in many schools there are several thousand unopened computer boxes.
“There are municipalities that use nearly all provided computers and there are municipalities in which usage was at 6% to 10% in April 2023,” says the ministry’s IT department’s deputy director Ilona Platonova. Among the large cities, the provided computers are used more rarely in schools located in Riga and Liepaja, Saldus, Salaspils, Balvi and others.
There are multiple reasons as to why computers stay unused.
Firstly, computers are not insured.
Rules permit children to take computers home, but it is first necessary for municipalities to insure those computers. However, this hasn’t been done, because the state budget approval process took longer, which prevented municipalities from announcing new procurements, included for insured services.
Secondly, there are schools that do not have a sufficiently fast Wi-Fi internet connection to allow several dozen computers to use it simultaneously.
The Latvian Association of Local Governments (LPS) notes that computers should have been supplied to schools a year ago, but it never happened because the procurement was appealed multiple times. It is also important to keep in mind that large local governments have to organise a procurement to insure computer equipment, which requires time. There are schools in which use of computers was postponed.
“Our education system is under near constant reforms. There are problems with School 2030 education means, there are problems with maintenance of the system to ensure centralised exams can be held online using IT platform. We have agreed on all levels, including the Ministry of Education and local governments, that we don’t touch municipalities and schools – all efforts are put into exams,” said LPS advisor for education and culture affairs Ināra Dundure.
After the 20th of June, representatives of the ministry of education are prepared to organise meetings to see what is necessary to have all schools start using all procured portable computers in the next school year.
Minister of Education Anda Čakša hopes that the situation with portable computers purchased using funds from the EU will not result in sanctions for Latvia.
The procurement of computers for Latvian schools will continue.
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