MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Mrs. Kirchner promises a laptop to each high school student

The plan is a repeat of Uruguay’s successful Ceibal Plan

Following on Uruguay’s successful experience, the Argentine government announced this week the distribution of three million laptops in government high schools.

“The dream of equal opportunities has been a long goal in the 200 years of our history. This program in our contemporary world is an instrument of justice to overcome the digital gap”, said Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner on announcing the program that is estimated will have a cost of over a billion US dollars.

The plan called Conectarigualdad.com.ar contemplates delivering in the next three years, three million laptops for students from 4.800 government high schools as well as fitting the schools with quick access to internet and wide band.

“It’s a very ambitious program which includes the delivery of very nice colourful notebooks with 46 programs”, said the Argentine president during a ceremony at a Buenos Aires theatre that was broadcasted live on national television to the whole country. Next to her at the ceremony were ministers, governors, members of congress and students.

“We must all collaborate in opening the doors of this new world, so that it is not hostile or unknown, but rather an interconnected world of peace and prosperity”, added the Argentine president.

Each laptop will have a cost of 273 US dollars and will be supplied by Argentina’s branch of Spain’s Movistar, which won the international bid launched by the Argentine Ministry of Culture.

The first batch of 250.000 laptops will be distributed among 250.000 students from technical schools and is financed by Argentina’s Social Security system, which among other things manages the country’s pensions’ scheme.

The plan also includes distribution of laptops among teachers, providing 1.200 servers at schools and all necessary backup to connect with Internet.

“Our great challenge is not only for children to go to school and regularly, it’s mainly that they finish schooling, they complete high school. No more drop outs”, said Mrs. Kirchner.

The program is based on the Ceibal Plan experience of neighbouring Uruguay which gave each child in the government school system a laptop, plus the needed infrastructure. The plan which was basically a pilot experience has been considered an “innovative complete success”.

Uruguay has begun extending the experience to all high schools, government and private.