Free laptops and broadband for poor families!

[Agent Orange]

I don't know why you keep going on about disabled children, as it's got nothing to do with this scheme, which is for low-income families - ie those who have chosen to have children but expect the state to pay to bring them up.

 

If schools shut mid afternoon, then there's all that IT equipment lying idle. Wouldn't it make more sense to scrap the free laptop and broadband scheme and open the school IT facilites in the evening, say between 5 and 7pm, allowing each child a session a week? They could be supervised by a couple of teachers for no extra cost; after all anyone who only works 39 weeks of the year wouldn't begrudge an evening's of extra supervisory work ever now and then, would they?

 

Why do you keep going on about the unemployed? You seem to struggle to grasp that "poor" does include those earning a wage. Yup, those who pay taxes on their very low wage i.e. single parents, people with disabilities, part time workers and so on.

 

As for making the poor kids stay at school to use IT suites, whilst making teachers supervise - what planet are you on?! You are evidentally ill-informed if you believe teachers have the time or resource to actually partake in such a scheme. Many teachers I know, work long into the night as it is, marking work and planning lessons etc.

[melthebell]

 

Why is everyone obsessed with the unemployed with this story Like I said, being poor does not necessarily mean unemployed

 

because they just love a good old rant and workshy scum is on the list just below muslims...........doesnt matter if the rants true or not as long as they rant

[alchresearch]

If schools shut mid afternoon, then there's all that IT equipment lying idle. Wouldn't it make more sense to scrap the free laptop and broadband scheme and open the school IT facilites in the evening, say between 5 and 7pm, allowing each child a session a week? They could be supervised by a couple of teachers for no extra cost; after all anyone who only works 39 weeks of the year wouldn't begrudge an evening's of extra supervisory work ever now and then, would they?

 

We already open the IT suites 8-9 and 3-4 - an hour before and after normal school lessons.

 

But you can't force pupils without computers to go, we've been told that we'd be penalising them for not owning a computer at home.

 

We're already on shaky ground for making them do anything which needs to be done on the computer during their lunch break.

 

Its the governments obsession with putting everything and everyone online.

 

Granted, working from home would have been ideal last week when the schools were closed, but there is more to life than using a computer for everything. You only have to look at the poor standard of handwriting in kids traditional exercise books to see this.

 

I have to admit that my own joined-up handwriting is also terrible because I use a computer for everything.

[Mathom]

I don't know why you keep going on about disabled children, as it's got nothing to do with this scheme, which is for low-income families - ie those who have chosen to have children but expect the state to pay to bring them up.

 

If schools shut mid afternoon, then there's all that IT equipment lying idle. Wouldn't it make more sense to scrap the free laptop and broadband scheme and open the school IT facilites in the evening, say between 5 and 7pm, allowing each child a session a week? They could be supervised by a couple of teachers for no extra cost; after all anyone who only works 39 weeks of the year wouldn't begrudge an evening's of extra supervisory work ever now and then, would they?

 

And you don't think that the professionals involved with devising and creating this initiative haven't already considered the facilities already available in libraries and schools? The improvements in performance quoted refer specifically to home access.

 

Again - kids with SEN statements and in care will be the main beneficiaries of this. Others will include kids from hard working, taxpaying families who just happen to be paid crap wages.

[Mathom]

Why would they listen to such rubbish?

 

This for children, not the unemployed. Particularly SEN and Looked After Children. We could open public libraries 7 days a week until 10pm and quadruple the number of PCs and make them into homework centres for the disabled, poor and those in care, but it’s not going to work for innumerable reasons.

 

To Asgard who thinks Looked After Children is a PC term for the disabled - no it just means children who are in the care (of the council).

 

To Mathom, what kind of evaluation do you think they might do, and who might do it?

 

Ongoing evaluation is common now throughout Whitehall, at specified points in the programme together with at the end point and even after then to see longer term results. There will also be financial audit of course. I'd imagine the evaluation will include quantitative and qualitative analysis plus user and provider feedback.

[alchresearch]

And you don't think that the professionals involved with devising and creating this initiative haven't already considered the facilities already available in libraries and schools? The improvements in performance quoted refer specifically to home access.

 

Not to mention the convenience of working at home - the saving of electricity, heating and staffing costs of public buildings, plus the reassurance the parent has that their child is doing their school work somewhere safe.

 

If everyone had a computer and net access, classes could have continued from home last week, despite the snow.

 

The teachers could have uploaded lesson plans and work to the VLE, the pupils log in and access it, emailing or messaging the teacher in real-time if need be, and submit their work.

 

Then they wouldn't be a week behind in their work like they are now.

 

It's called 21st century technology. Get with it people. And if you're an ill-informed armchair critic, find out about the subject you're slating because you're making yourself look stupid!

[Mathom]

I have to say it puzzles me that people using an internet forum cannot see the possibilities that IT offers. Especially as a parent, it's revolutionised my life. I view it not as a tool that allows me to run my life in a completely different way and have access to all the information, and people, I could ever want.

[alchresearch]

I have to say it puzzles me that people using an internet forum cannot see the possibilities that IT offers.

 

Yeah, I'd like to see the attitudes of some people on here if they had to do their computing from the library rather than the comfort of their own home!

 

A home PC also gives low income families access to price comparison sites and on-line deals to save them a bit more money.

 

The internet is a 24 hour service. Libraries and school classrooms are not. I know lots of pupils who do their homework on a Sunday.

[GordonBennet]

Not to mention the convenience of working at home - the saving of electricity, heating and staffing costs of public buildings, plus the reassurance the parent has that their child is doing their school work somewhere safe.

 

If everyone had a computer and net access, classes could have continued from home last week, despite the snow.

 

The teachers could have uploaded lesson plans and work to the VLE, the pupils log in and access it, emailing or messaging the teacher in real-time if need be, and submit their work.

 

Then they wouldn't be a week behind in their work like they are now.

 

It's called 21st century technology. Get with it people. And if you're an ill-informed armchair critic, find out about the subject you're slating because you're making yourself look stupid!

 

School isn't just about education though, it's about making friends, developing social skills and interacting with other people. Kids aren't going to learn that if they spend their schooldays sat in their bedrooms gawping at a screen. Do we want to raise a generation of unfit, unhealthy coach potatoes?

 

Also, how much time exactly do you need to learn basic IT skills? The only things you need to learn to get an office job are how to get online and how to work Microsoft Office suite - you could manage all of that in one afternoon!

[Magilla]

Should be some bargains on Ebay soon then..

 

Already one on there

 

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/01/15/bribo_laptop/