Chile's JUNAEB delivers laptops to thousands of students via Beca TIC

The Junta Nacional de Auxilio Escolar y Becas (JUNAEB) has rolled out its Beca TIC program across several Chilean regions, providing free notebook computers to seventh‑grade students in public schools. In Iquique and Alto Hospicio, more than 1,400 notebooks were handed out, while the Tarapacá region saw over 2,000 devices distributed. The Maule region’s commune of Pencahue received 73 laptops as part of a regional total of more than 8,300 units, contributing to the national target of 96,100 computers for the year.

Each notebook comes equipped with a 12‑month free internet connection, GPS anti‑theft tracking, a latest‑generation processor, 128 GB SSD, Full‑HD screen and access to artificial‑intelligence tools and over 65 educational software applications. The deliveries are coordinated by JUNAEB together with regional education authorities and the Ministry of Education, aiming to reduce the digital gap and strengthen learning outcomes for students from low‑income backgrounds.

Local officials, including regional director Freddy Araneda, highlighted the program’s role in ensuring that all seventh‑grade pupils, including those in subsidised private schools and special‑needs cases, receive the technological resources needed for modern education.