Essay Final Draft

Singapore, being a highly developed nation, has one of the highest technological penetrations in the world and a growing reliance on the usage of digital technology. This has caused certain groups of people who are unable to attain access to technology to be at a disadvantage in society. An example of this includes students from low income families. According to a survey done by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) in 2013, 13% of households did not have internet access at home. Out of the 13%, 9% said that this was because they could not afford it. The lack of digital access poses as a problem to students from these families due to the increase in use of technology in our education system. With the implementation of the "Masterplan" initiative (since 1997), the use of ICT was encouraged in schools to reap the benefits of digital learning. However, this causes the students from lower income families to be disadvantaged in using these resources and getting the best out of their education.

Thus, the government and IDA have offered various solutions to address the problem, but they are still insufficient as the digital divide still poses as a problem. The "Masterplan" initiative allows students computer usage for 30% of their curriculum time in fully networked schools. Teachers are also motivated to use ICT effectively in their teaching and learning. Many schools have thus incorporated web assignments and web portals into the curriculum. E-discussion forums have become pervasive and digital textbooks have replaced hard-copy journals or notes (Rubin, 2013). This severely disadvantages students who do not have the means or capability to access the internet, as they lose out on these networks to attain information. Furthermore, they might only be able to complete their online assignments in school, leaving them restricted by constraints. Also, in accordance to the MOE guidelines, schools have started incorporating several "e-learning" days in the year, when lessons are conducted over the internet on the home computer. The running of such programmes was further encouraged after the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003 as a precautionary practice should schools be cancelled in the case of another epidemic. Thus, students who do not have internet access at home would run into problems and be unable to do their e-learning, and have to seek other alternatives (such as using public networks, or going back to school which ultimately defeats the purpose of the program).

The government recognises this on-going problem and have worked with the IDA to come up with various solutions. To resolve the issue, the Digital Inclusion Fund has been set up, in which $10million was set aside to attempt to bridge the digital divide in Singapore, including aiding families with low income. This fund will be used to increase public access to IT which is achieved through community centers, the private sector, libraries, LAN centers, and other self-help groups, etc., with a total of more than 10,000 PCs available for public use. Free broadband access will also be made available at community centres and clubs. Part of the fund will be also used for the implementation of various programmes or subsidies, such as in the NEU PC Plus Programme and PC Re-use Scheme, which will be further elaborated and evaluated below.

The first solution IDA has come up with is the NEU PC Plus programme. Students with a household income of less than $2,700 will be given a 75% discount on computers, making the computers more affordable for them. Since its introduction in 1999, close to 37,000 families with school-going children had benefited from the program. However, it is limited, as the maximum surfing speed of only 1Mbps limits the sites that one can visit. For example, sites that have many graphics or high security software would pose as a problem to these users. Students might have difficulty loading many relevant newspaper sites and entering a school portal to download assignments due to their high security network. (Irene T, 2013)

Another solution being adopted is the PC Re-use Scheme. It involves gathering used and unwanted PCs from various sectors including government departments, private and public. They will then be reconditioned and distributed to the needy families and non-profit organisations such as halfway houses and voluntary welfare centres. To date, more than 1300 refurbished PCs have been donated. (Hock Yun, K, 2001). However, older computers usually have older and slower systems which might not be able to support newer, more updated software programs. For example, certain specialised programs used in tertiary courses can only run on a MacBook with Apple software. These older unwanted computers thus become redundant when the student is still unable to use it for their school work. Also, a slower system that takes a long time to load reduces productivity and limits the ability of students to access networks.

In conclusion, the problem of digital divide between low-income students and other students is still observed in our society today. However, there is recognition of this issue and efforts have been made to improve the problem. This includes setting aside funds and subsidies, and implementation of various schemes such as the NEU PC Plus Programme and PC Re-use Scheme. Although the effectiveness of these solutions is still being questioned, it is indeed an issue that cannot be addressed and resolved overnight, since the government and IDA are still limited by both social and financial constraints. A possible alternative would be in the provision of resources and services reserved specially for these students in their communities, such as in schools or community centres, which can be accessed free.

References:

C.M. Rubin (28 October 2013). The Global Search for Education: Got Tech? - Singapore. Retrieved October 8, 2014 at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/c-m-rubin/the-global-search-for-edu_b_4171890.html

Factsheet: Digital Inclusion Fund (September 2014) Retrived October 8, 2014 at: https://www.ida.gov.sg/~/media/Files/About%20Us/Newsroom/Media%20Releases/2014/0928_SID2014/Annex2_MediaFactsheet_DigitalInclusionFund.pdf

Hock Yun, K. (May 2011) Bridging the Digital Divide. Retrieved October 8, 2014 from IDA Web site at: https://www.ida.gov.sg/About-Us/Newsroom/Speeches/2001/20061212162944

Irene T. (17 March 2014). Bridging The Digital Divide. Retrieved October 8, 2014 at: http://www.straitstimes.com/the-big-story/case-you-missed-it/story/bridging-the-digital-divide-20140317