[LINK] NSW Nettops for Students to Keep

[Stilgherrian]

On 02/12/2008, at 9:21 AM, Bernard Robertson-Dunn wrote:
> I agree. Learning to use a computer and having access to computers  
> seems
> to be a useful component of school education, but so are a lot of  
> other
> things. Why buy each student (and I assume all students who start  
> school
> from now on) a computer? What happens when new models issued? Will  
> they
> replace all those out there? If not, then it is likely that new and
> younger students will have more powerful machines than older ones who
> need computers for more advanced uses.

As I said yesterday... (Link is so SLOW)...

     In another "generous" move…

         “[Students] can take it home, back to school, and then
         after four years, when they leave school, they can take
         their computer away with them.”

     Wow. Already kids tend to be given cheap, underpowered equipment
     "suitable for students", as if their research and assignment-
     preparation was somehow less demanding, their time of less value.
     I'd be amazed if the laptops actually survive all four years in a
     kid's backpack. But if they do, by then they'll be a year past
     end of life and way behind current standards.

     This isn't a generous offer, it's a government either too lazy
     to collect and recycle the old computers, or too clueless to
     realise how fast computing changes.

     "Do we really care about our kids?"
     http://stilgherrian.com/politics/do-we-really-care-about-our-kids/

A researcher at the Parliamentary Library (CBR rather than SYD, I  
think) told me the other day that it's impossible to over-estimate the  
cluelessness of politicians when i comes to computers and the Internet.


> It all sounds like policy on the run to me. Not much thinking it  
> through.

Welcome to Planet Earth.

Stil


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