The Government's plan to provide laptop computers to all students soon to be entering secondary school has drawn critical comment. Some commentators argue that this initiative would help bridge the technological divide between students who can afford laptops and those who cannot. Critics predict that the computers would lead to distractions and disruptions among students.

Speaking on the issue last Sunday night, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said: "When parents have money, they buy the laptops for their children, they give them computers. So why shouldn't the poor parents and the poor family also have a laptop?"

Unfortunately, the matter is not so straightforward. Studies from the United States and some European nations have shown mixed results on the link between computer use and academic achievement. It is certainly the case that having access to computers improves children's computer skills. It is not, however, apparent that students from low-income households ever get beyond basic competencies. Some researchers have found that computer use increases test scores in mathematics and reading, other studies say computers cause such scores to worsen.

Still, computer literacy is undoubtedly essential to fully participate in the world of the 21st century. Moreover, since the promise of laptop computers was a conspicuous plank of the People's Partnership election campaign, the new policy is a fait accompli. So the question is not really whether all students should have computers, but under what conditions they should be given such access. If the Persad-Bissessar administration is going to be responsible in fulfilling this promise, it must ensure that certain safeguards apply.

Such precautions go beyond installing firewalls so students can't access websites unsuitable for children. If this programme is to work, it has to be properly co-ordinated among the Education Ministry, secondary schools, and the teachers. At a minimum, this means ensuring that teachers themselves are provided with laptops so they can properly administer their lessons with the students. It may also be a bad idea to allow the children to carry home the computers, since this increases the risk of damage and theft, and could render supervision impossible.

The core focus, however, must be the academic performance of the students. The Education Ministry appears to have no plan yet to monitor students to see if owning a laptop helps or hinders their studies. Even at this late stage, the case is powerful for running such a study, using a representative sample of students to measure computer usage and track their test scores. Not to do so would be irresponsible, since the laptop supply programme has the potential significantly to affect children's future, especially the poor ones, for good or for ill.