Bahrain is set to revolutionise education at public schools with the introduction of state-of-the-art services as part of its Schools of Future project, an official from the Education Ministry said.

The Ministry has chosen Microsoft Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 and HP Compaq MultiSeat T200 Desktops to provide the latest technology for students, said Shaikh Hisham Bin Abdul Aziz Al Khalifa, undersecretary for resources & services at MoE.

“The Ministry had selected Microsoft Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 and HP Compaq MultiSeat T200 Desktops to ensure that technology is delivered to schools efficiently, and provide more students with access to the latest technology in a cost and time effective manner.”

“This step is inspired by the Kingdom of Bahrain’s Vision 2030; the digitised classrooms concept aims at improving the educational system by providing accessible, high-quality educational services through efficient use of the Ministry’s resources in a result-oriented way.”

“The MoE considers the deployment of the information and communications technology (ICT) as an essential part of the school curriculum; we expect that around 45,000 pupils and teachers across 70 schools will benefit in the first phase to be rolled out later this month with a target of deploying the latest ICT solutions in all 210 schools across the Kingdom.”

Tareq Hijazi, regional country manager for Microsoft in Bahrain and Oman, said: “Technology needs to work seamlessly and cost-effectively in schools, and Microsoft is committed to providing dependable, secure, and flexible products that are affordable and easy-to-use.”

“Our job as education and industry leaders is to equip students with the 21st century skills necessary to adapt to change in a globally competitive world.”

“Bahrain is one step closer to developing an educational system based on a high-tech teaching environment in the public schools through efficient use of the Ministry of Education’s resources in a result-oriented way,” said Ahmed Alhammadi, director of information systems, at the Ministry of Education.

“By deploying this technology, schools can help pupils develop skills that will open up a broader range of opportunities at work and community levels.”

“The Ministry has a limited number of technicians, and they were struggling to support the large number of computers and devices across hundreds of schools; the cost of replacing hardware was also putting a huge strain on our limited budget. With the Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 and HP MultiSeat solution, each user will have the same experience as they would from an individual desktop,” Alhammadi added.

Reinforced by the HP Compaq MultiSeat T200 Desktops as host computers, the Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 supports the HP Classroom Manager application, which gives teachers the tools to manage the digital classroom and create an interactive learning environment.

“The HP MultiSeat solution has been designed to work with Windows MultiPoint Server technology and ensure that each user has a good personal computing experience,” said ZiyadAlrayes, education business manager for the Middle East, HP.

“Once fully deployed, each host computer will support up to six students in classrooms. They will be able to use Microsoft Office applications, browse the internet, and view or save multimedia files to private or shared folders.”

“Also, teachers will be able to monitor progress and mark pupils’ work without leaving their workstations which enables them better use of time to cover more students per class. This solution relieves the burden on educational institutions that don’t want to exhaust their funding on replacements for computers; instead, they can double their ICT penetration within schools on the same budget.” Alrayes concluded. – TradeArabia News Service