Tablets have been given to 350 pupils across 20 schools for the pilot project’s second phase. Photos: Matthew Mirabelli

The project to give a tablet computer to every child in Year 4 has been postponed by a year to make sure teachers are adequately prepared for it, Education Minister Evarist Bartolo said yesterday.

However, tablets have just been handed out to 350 pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5 as part of a pilot project leading to the full rollout in 2016, Mr Bartolo said yesterday during a visit to Msida Primary School, which is taking part in the pilot.

The pilot will determine what kind of tablet will be adopted and how and when it should be used when the project is launched in all Year 4 classes in two years’ time.

“One of the most important things is the training and professional formation of teachers.

“We want to train all the teachers at State, independent and Church schools. Wherever this technology was introduced abroad, its success depended on how much the teachers felt at ease with it,” Mr Bartolo said. “Rather than rushing the project, we want to make sure the teachers are at ease with using this technology.”

The pilot was launched in March with 44 teachers trained from the tablet providers and the Department of eLearning within the Education Ministry, which is coordinating the project.

Now, during the second phase of the pilot project, 32 teachers and 21 learning support assistants will use the technology in their classes until March 2015.

Software and devices of different sizes and operating systems, costing €200,000, were loaned by 12 local and international suppliers.

An evaluation report will be used to prepare the national rollout.

Project leader Martin Debattista said variables were being tested, including whether pupils should take the tablet home with them.

Parents have signed an “acceptable use” policy determining that children cannot use them during dinnertime, for example.

The transition from books to tablets is also being considered: while schoolbags are weighed and monitored, project coordinators are seeing which books can be digitised.

Mr Bartolo emphasised this was an education project, not a technology one, and was tied to literacy. Asked whether it will be expanded to secondary schools, he said a decision could not be taken now as technology would move forward in three to four years’ time.