Students and teachers will have to wait a little longer for new computers in their schools.
Orders of equipment such as laptops, iPads, tablets, Chromebooks and other electronics that the Department of Education ordered last summer will not be delivered for a few more months.
In response to questions from KHJ News, Director of Education (DOE) Talauega Dr. Samasoni Asaeli has shed some light on the status of the orders. He explained that the technology orders placed last year for both public and private schools were put on hold because the bids submitted by the local vendors for the type and quantity of equipment requested far exceeded the amounts originally budgeted.
Public and private school representatives met with the ASG Procurement Office and a decision was made to reduce the quantity of equipment originally requested to correspond to the budgeted amount.
According to the DOE Director, these orders were re-advertised and are now in the bidding process.
Talauega said, “We are looking at 2 to 3 months for the orders to arrive.”
The type of equipment varies from Chromebooks to laptops along with tablets, desktop computers, printers and other related electronics.
Asked if schools are prepared in the event that they have to return to full time virtual classes, the DOE director was confident they are ready.
“Currently, we do have technology on hand that students are using. Schools have their virtual and hybrid learning plans in place in the event that schools are closed down completely or required to implement a staggered schedule,” he explained.
The director pointed out that the additional technology equipment ordered will give more students easy access to devices.
“…so we are ready to implement virtual or hybrid learning plans but not to their fullest potential without the bulk orders being processed,” he declared.
