Textbooks, pencils, chalks and notebooks are already things of the past. Typing words, using a computer mouse, changing the font, colour, and size of the text and other related equipment is now available for Georgian first graders.
Different educational programmes in foreign languages, the Georgian language, mathematics and logic are installed in Bukis. The computer also has extracurricular textbooks and cognitive training games.
For the first time this year, 5 year old children will be enrolled in primary schools. Out of 60,000 first graders their number is 20,000. As the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia explained, Buki was made with a new national curriculum specially for 5 year old children. Pupils will be able to use Bukis over the next 3-4 years. Programmes for the next years have already been drawn up.
Besides the first graders, all class mentors who will teach 5 year old first graders will get computers as well. There are 3,500 class mentors in Georgia. Before they got the computers, they were trained. 50 trainers were re-trained to train 3,500 teachers. Training lasted for 9 days. For 4 hours a day the teachers were studying computer programmes.
Elza Oniani is one of the teachers who was trained. She is already 32 years old and has been teaching in public school 152. This year she will meet the 9th generation. “For both of us, for my pupils and for me this is the first time working with a new programme. 9 days of training wasn’t enough for me, but I’m doing my best, I’m continuing my studies at home to be well prepared,” said Elza Oniani. “During the first semester computing teachers will introduce pupils to the structure of computers. When pupils know how to read and write, teachers will continue their computer work with them. This is a fun way of studying and won’t replace books,” she added.
The Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia believes that using the internet will develop children’s knowledge and thinking further; children will have critical thinking skills. “Bukis will be additional ways of getting information alongside school books. Pupils have the possibility to install their favourite programmes and games. Wireless internet is also available in Bukis. So pupils can use the free internet in their schools. Bukis have Georgian font. They are very durable and can’t be easily damaged,” said the Press Office of the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia.
Gradually very little communication is being accomplished through the hand-written form, as emails and electronic documents grow more important in nearly all phases of life. Being familiar with the computer keyboard makes using electronic devices easier. But is it recommended to learn these skills at an early age?
Psychologist Irina Tabutsidze said that 5 year old children can easily work with computers and learn computer skills as they can easily acquire new materials. “My 4 year old son knows many more computer skills than a first-grader should know. Children who live in the regions and don’t have close contact with computers though would need more time to get used to them. But as children’s minds are always ready for new information, the process of learning computer skills won’t be hard for them,” said Tabutsidze, Director of the Practical Psychological Centre.
“Our centre did research last month. It showed that 5 year old children are ready intellectually to start studying. Their memory, pronunciation skills, logic, attention skills and concentration ability are ready for being a first-grader. But psychologically they aren’t yet ready, because at this early age they are oriented at games. Also a child should have experience in relations with strangers. He should be able to establish his own requirements. He should work independently. From 6 years old all these habits are already developed, but it is difficult for a 5 year old child to have them,” she added.
Buki are made by the Georgian Computer Company, which was opened as a result of cooperation of the company Algorithm and international company Intel. The factory assembles computers for first graders and loads the programmes in them.
The factory has the resources to release approximately one million computers per year. As the factory can produce more computers than is necessary for Georgian schools, it is possible for the computers to be exported too.
The factory has been given DOEM status from Microsoft, which means that the factory can easily buy licensed software from Microsoft at wholesale prices.
Currently 100 people are employed in the factory, whose average salaries are 700 GEL.
Last year the programme My First Computer was a pilot programme. 3,000 first graders and their teachers got Bukis. For this programme 8 million GEL was allocated. “The research showed that those pupils who were using Bukis showed greater development gains and learned the curriculum 2 times faster compared to children without computer experience,” said Press Office of the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia.
It was thought that computers would replace books. Pupils would have a choice – to buy a book or use a computer; that Bukis would compete with school books. As publishing houses in Georgia have said, the number of published school books hasn’t decreased this year. “
“A school fair will be open in September 15. Then we’ll have an exact statistic of school books sales. Computers are just an addition to school books. So if demand for school books decreases this year, the reason won’t be the computers,” said Shorena Khutsishvili, the Director of school books distribution service. “Buki is made for making the learning process with books more fun. The role of books hasn’t decreased. Bukis reinforce the knowledge that pupils get from books,” Khutsishvili added.