DOHA: As distance learning becomes a permanent feature of education due to coronavirus, several parents have complained about the additional financial burden it has brought to their family budget in these hard times.
Speaking to the local Arabic media, parents say they are now forced to buy laptops for their children and many of them with more than one child are finding it difficult to fulfill this new demand for their wards’ education.
Qatar has introduced a new concept of “blended learning” where students will attend school for up to a maximum of two days a week and the rest of the learning will be done online. Computers are essential for e-learning.
Many parents also say the Ministry of Education and Higher Education has set high specifications for the computers students must use, making them costly. Some parents cannot purchase these devices due to their high prices, in addition to the fact that some families have more than one student and they would need to buy the device for each child.
The average price of a computer in the market with the specifications prescribed by the Ministry is QR2,500.
It is not possible for more than one child to use a computer because classes are held simultaneously and students are required to work on assignments within a specific time period.
Prices for laptops, with specifications set by the Ministry of Education, vary from QR1,100 to QR5,000 apiece.
Distance learning has resulted in a huge spike in the demand for laptops in the local market. There are also cases of dealers jacking up the prices taking advantage of the situation, reports say.
Some parents also questioned the need for purchasing computers with advanced features because students use them only for basic purposes. They urged the Ministry to take into account the fact that some families cannot afford to provide more than one device due to their financial conditions and limited income. They also called for rearranging online lessons and assignments for students who are sharing laptops at home with their siblings.
The Ministry of Education had announced last year that computers and home broadband devices would be granted to students who were unable to buy computers or did not have internet access in their homes. Parents urged the Ministry to implement this this year, too, which will benefit several families.