Cabinet approves $1b schools plan

FEDERAL Cabinet has signed off on a $1 billion plan to give every student in years nine to 12 their own computer at school, with the first $100 million in funding to become available in March.

The plan is one of the first election commitments to be put through the Cabinet process, and means that schools can start applying now for funding of up to $1 million each.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said an national audit of schools’ computer resources and broadband facilities would be conducted to determine those in most need.

Though funding is available to all schools – public and private – the first round money will go to those found to be in most urgent need.

Mr Rudd said schools can elect to spend the funding on a range of digital equipment – from computers, interactive whiteboards, networking equipment, digital projects and improved broadband connectivity.

Deputy Prime Minister and education Minister Julia Gillard has also outlined broad plans to improve teacher training in ICT skills to ensure they are equipped to teach in computer-equipped classrooms.

Under its National Secondary School Computer Fund commitment during the election, Labor noted that ICT “is also now becoming critical to most jobs in most industries,” for mining, to agriculture, manufacturing and services.

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PC-makers eager for a Rudd govt

PC hardware makers have been showered with big-ticket promises from both parties during the election that has them looking forward to sweet years ahead for their education sector business units.

From the Kevin Rudd promise to turn every school into a “digital school” (an admittedly vague commitment) to John Howard’s tax rebates on education expenses, its looked like a Christmas come early.

But just how much of the funding commitments – Rudd said Labor will spend $1 billion over four years on its digital school plan – translates as new money for the industry remains to be seen.

A large number of the middle-class beneficiaries of the election largesse would have purchased computers on a regular upgrade basis anyway – and they’ll simply (and happily) enjoy the middle-class welfare being put forward by both major parties.

Still, in the absence of industry development policy the IT sector might reasonably have hoped for, the money being tipped into the education sector is generally positive for the industry.

Federal Labor’s National Secondary School Computer Fund will allow every Australian student in years 9-12 to have access to their own school computer.

The National Secondary School Computer Fund will allow secondary schools to apply for capital grants of up to $1 million to acquire new or upgrade information technology equipment.

This could include personal laptops or computers, thin clients with virtual desktops and internet network infrastructure to plug our secondary schools into the information superhighway.

Under Labor’s plan, 99 per cent of school children will also get access to broadband connections of speeds up to 100 megabits per second at school through fibre to the premises (FTTP) broadband infrastructure.

The other one per cent of students will get improved access at school, via the best available fixed line, wireless and satellite technologies.

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Aarnet boosts remote schooling

THE Australian Academic and Research Network (AARNet), the public sector broadband research group, is working with the National Museum in Canberra and NSW Department of Education on delivering live, two-way video-conferencing to remote schools.

The project aims to deliver Talkback Classroom forums held by the Museum.

Talkback Classroom is a regular forum held at the Museum where teams of three students investigate current issues and participate in a live interview with a leading decision maker.

This week Foreign Minister Alexander Downer will be interviewed by students on the Australian/Korean Energy Forum.

The session includes students from up to 100 regional and rural NSW schools participating via live-streaming videoconference across the AARNet3 national backbone – connected to the NSW Department of Education and Training network.

AARNet chief executive Chris Hancock said the latest “AARNet3 is a high-speed, high-capacity network specifically designed to give Australian schools and universities access to services, information and opportunities they have never had before, removing geographical constraints.”

“The National Museum’s Talkback Classroom project is a perfect example of how AARNet3 gives students in remote areas access to the same tools as those in city areas,” Mr Hancock said.

AARNet is the not-for-profit company that operates Australia's Academic and Research Network. The shareholders are 37 universities and the CSIRO.

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