[LINK] Apple iPads for Victorian School Students

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

Tom writes,

> Premier John Brumby has announced 500 Apple iPads will be issued in a
> trial to students at eight Victorian government schools .. In contrast 
> to Victoria, the NSW government is issuing 10,000 netbooks per week to 
> schools .. The NSW Government has a superior strategy ..


Tom, the 500 iPads are simply a trial, in addition to the many thousands
of notebooks already distributed to Victorian students and which started
quite some time before NSW started doing the same.

Although up-to-date figures are not easy to obtain (it's old news) to my
knowledge EVERY Vic student from Years 5 to 12 has indeed been offered a 
notebook, and with their parents needing to pay $56 per year for 3 years. 

For example, at the local country town P12 school (Primary-Year Ten) ALL
the students are offered notebooks, and 99% accepting them. The notebook
i use has a usb mouse, and an external monitor, and boots in ~30 seconds.

In addition, EVERY classroom in this school has an, 'interactive' (touch 
screen) whiteboard (notice-board size) with a speedy net connection. All
the student notebooks have a school wireless Internet connection as well.

This net connection being fibre is indeed speedy, which is not available
to town residents. Also, the other school in town, a 15-student Catholic
primary school has had an underground fibre connection installed. And as
i said, this fibre not available to town residents, only ADSL+/satellite.

These 500 iPads are simply a small trial. Believe me schools in Victoria
are very well ICT resourced indeed. Both schools in this town are by far
the best Internet and ICT equipped of all groups in town, private or gov.

Don't worry about Victorian education and our state of ICT resources Tom.

Cheers,
Stephen