In T&T: 17,492 laptops for students

(Trinidad Guardian) HP laptops,  17,492 of them, totalling more than US$9 million, will be distributed to Form One students between September 5 and 18. Education Minister Tim Gopeesingh disclosed this at a post-Cabinet briefing yesterday at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s. He also revealed that he had received no reports of stolen laptops, but 220 of the computers had been brought in for repair so far this year. He said the laptops given to students and their teachers this year will make it about 53,000 students and 4,500 teachers from Forms One to Three with government-issued laptops. Gopeesingh said although the unit cost for each laptop was US$10.81 more than last year, the quality of the machines had risen. Gopeesingh said the machines had been provided with software, including 12 Microsoft education software and the laws of T&T.