DOHA: A school in the Middle Eastern state of Qatar has turned hi-tech by replacing schoolbags with laptops.

It is piloting the eSchoolbag project, a joint collaboration between Singapore's Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) and its Qatari counterpart, ictQATAR.

200 students and teachers of Al-Wakra Independent Preparatory School for Girls are getting a taste of the latest in information technology that can be used by schools to conduct lessons.

The IDA is helping to develop Doha's e-education strategy.

The aim is to help teachers and students realise their potential and improve their learning experience through IT.

Maryam Abdul Rahman, a Qatari student, says: "I like this laptop. It is very fun, nice and special. It has a pen with which we can write or draw. We can also turn the screen and make it into a notebook. I can take it with me wherever I go. We don't have to take a heavy book to the school."

Three Singapore infocomm companies have joined hands with their Qatari counterparts to step up infocomm development in education in the Middle Eastern state.

Dr Mohamed E. Al-Ansari, Manager, e-Education, ictQATAR, says: "We are looking forward for more collaboration in the future. Singaporean industry partners have proven to be intelligent, sincere and highly professional. The eSchoolbag project is our stepping stone towards digitalising and connecting all schools and students in the state of Qatar."

"This is the project that we hope bears with it the improvement of the way teachers teach and the way the students learn and we are looking forward to rolling this out to more schools in the future."

Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo noted that the Qataris are impressed with what Singapore is doing in the field of education and are keen to learn from it.

He added the exchange of ideas and expertise can be a two-way process.

Mr Yeo says: "I proposed to the school principal – ‘why not we help you develop your software and you help us develop a software to teach Arabic as a third language'. I am quite happy to volunteer a school from my constituency to be a partner in that project. But let the Education Ministry decide."

The staff and students are expected to complete their familiarisation programme in early 2007. By then, teachers would also have started delivering their lessons using the tablet PCs. - CNA/so