Belief vs Fact

When we started KOOMPI back in 2017, I strongly believed that every student should have a personal laptop. I still believe in this necessity. The reality is that not everyone can afford a personal laptop. But everyone should be able to access a computer for learning.

While most people today own a personal computer in the form of a smartphone—powerful, portable, and capable of many tasks, especially for information consumption—it’s not the same as having a laptop or desktop for excelling in computer programming or related fields.

On top of that, students learning computer skills should use Linux-based systems, as 70% of the internet depends on Linux.

Recognizing that owning a personal computers are still unaffordable for many, we shifted our focus from offering laptops to providing mini-PC desktops and advocating for Linux, open-source solutions, and cloud-based application computer labs in schools.

Since this shift 2 years ago, as of December this year, we’ve now set up 63 computer labs. However, many teachers still cling to the belief that they need Windows to teach MS Office.

Ironically, this belief is more psychological than practical. Microsoft has done an excellent job convincing people that they need its products to secure jobs market. Yet when we visit these labs, teachers primarily use Canva for design, other cloud applications, typing lessons, and a basic introduction to MS Office—functions easily replaced by cloud-based office suites like Google Docs. Beyond this, most programming lessons are better suited for Linux-based systems.

This highlights the need for more education on the matter.

There’s nothing wrong with using Windows, but cracked licenses are a persistent issue. Windows’ reliance on paid applications means that even if a school pays for the operating system, they must also pay for additional software, which becomes prohibitively expensive. There are other drawbacks, but we don’t need to list them here.

I still believe that students who can afford it should own a Linux-based computer. For those who cannot, they should have access to computer labs equipped with Linux. This approach helps foster more engineers than administrative workers. After all, engineers can handle administrative tasks more efficiently, but administrative workers will struggle with engineering tasks.

In Cambodia, with over 10,000 schools, each should have at least one computer lab. Whether KOOMPI provides them or someone else takes the lead, the goal is clear—every student deserves access to quality tech education. But, they should be a Linux-based computer lab with open-source tools and cloud-based where applicable. We can create a sustainable, cost-effective solution that equips students with the skills needed for the future. This will not only fosters engineers and innovators but also ensures that no student is left behind in the digital age.

Work on the fact, follow the belief!