[LINK] re: Computers for schools more than hardware

[Tom Worthington]

>I wrote Wed Feb 20 17:09:58 EST 2008 :
>... the PM's staff think that the government are 
>committed to buying a laptop for each student to 
>take home and there are computer companies 
>queuing up to provide that hardware.  But this 
>is not what the policy said and is not necessarily educationally desirable. ...

The messages seems to have got through to the Deputy PM, Julia Gillard:

"... What is happening with our computers in 
schools policy and it was heralded well before 
the election, we weren't going to sit in Canberra 
and say, you must have this kind of computer, you 
must have an Apple Mac ... Some schools do want 
to put a computer ... on every child's desk. Some 
schools want to give their children laptops. ..." 
From: Radio Interview, Transcript, ABC 
Adelaide,830am Thursday, 21 February 2008 
<http://mediacentre.dewr.gov.au/mediacentre/Gillard/Releases/NewworkplacerelationslawscomputersinschoolspolicyRalphmagazineWorkChoicespropaganda.htm>.

But someone needs to give her a better description of a thin client:

"Some schools are using innovative technology, 
things called would you believe, thin clients 
which are little key pads which then relate to a 
server which is located elsewhere in the school. ..." ;-)

However, the political problem for the government 
is that the policy still translates in the 
journalists mind to each child having their own computer:

"MATTHEW ABRAHAM: Will every child have their own computer?

JULIA GILLARD: We are delivering this program to 
senior secondary students, so its years 9 to 12


DAVID BEVAN: Will every year 9 to 12 student have their own computer?

JULIA GILLARD: For years 9 to 12 there will be 
the equivalent to a one to one ratio but I am not 
telling them that they have to have it on the 
desk, they might have a laptop in the draw, they 
might have a thin client that is handed out to 
students to use for particular parts of the 
classes. They might have technology I don't even 
know the names of yet because it hasn't even been 
invented today but it is in regular distribution by four years time. ..."



Tom Worthington FACS HLM tom.worthington at tomw.net.au Ph: 0419 496150
Director, Tomw Communications Pty Ltd            ABN: 17 088 714 309
PO Box 13, Belconnen ACT 2617                      http://www.tomw.net.au/
Adjunct Senior Lecturer, ANU