3D Printers in every public school

Not in Kenya though, in the US. If this is the trend then we need those laptops in the hands of every kid, not just class one pupils, but every primary, secondary, college and university student as soon as yesterday. Although the laptop project for every class one kid is viable, I agree with Robert Ngeru that the best way to provide the laptops to the school children is via establishing well furnished computer labs in every school.

Back to US where MakerBot’s founder and Chief Executive Bre Pettis wants to ensure that 3D printers are available in every public school. His reasoning is very simple, 3D printers can “change the whole paradigm of how our children will see innovation and manufacturing in America.” He also argues that there are those products which the students will be able to make themselves, instead of waiting for the manufacturers to make profits out of simple to make products.

Good news for Pettis is that his government is in support. Tom Kalil, deputy director for technology and innovation within the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said in prepared remarks: “We all need to think creatively about giving our young people the tools to be ‘the makers of things, and not just the consumers of things'” , reports CNET.

This particular desire by Pettis makes our own laptop project be so “outdated”. If we have assured connection and equal partnership with the global friends that we should support the laptop project but at working framework. For a number of reasons providing each child in class one with own laptops is not viable, sustainable and productive. But if the funds were used to provide modern computer laboratories that can support a computer for every 10 to 15 pupils in all schools, and a working computer curriculum developed to train the pupils computer lessons right from class one, then we could be placed in a platform where we could also start thinking of giving the pupils 3D printers.

I don’t like when these guys in the so called developed world are always 3 to 5 steps ahead. Did you know that UK is already thinking of implementing a new Digital TV technology by 2016 when we are still arguing for the postponement of when it is suitable for us to migrate from Analogue to basic Digital Broadcast?

It won’t be a wonder if the infrastructures we want to put in place to make us a middle income earning country by 2030 shall have been outdated such that we shall still be in “developing world” category despite fully implementing vision 2030 programme.

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