MOT and MOE cooperate on Raspberry Pi project

Initiative aims to foster IT knowledge

The Ministry of Telecommunications (MoT) will launch the pilot phase of a new 'Raspberry Pi' program on May 13, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MoE). “The program aims at enhancing the digital economy through empowering the younger generation”, said Maher Husseiniye, Advisor to the Minister of Telecoms.

the Raspberry Pi is a UK-made computer chip that replaces the CPU case in non-portable computers. The chip, which is the size of a credit card, operates as a regular PC once it is wired to a screen, keyboard, and mouse. The device is easily carried and stored as well as economic, Husseiniye said. The price of the chip alone is $35. The chip and its accessories, including the screen, keyboard, and mouse, cost around $100.

“The Raspberry Pi program intends to educate children about the importance of acquiring technical ICT backgrounds,” Husseiniye said. “We want to motivate young talents and provide them with the right opportunity.”

The pilot phase of the program will involve distributing Raspberry Pi devices to 30 students of the Dhour El Choueir public school. Husseiniye said the MoE will be delegating a dedicated instructor to train the students on how to use the Raspberry Pi. The MoE will later decide on whether to include the system in the academic curriculum.