[plug] WA Govenment iPads for year 1 and 2 students

[Michael Van Delft]

I think one of the reasons for getting parents to pay may be to make
up for some of the shortcomings of the NSSCF (National Secondary
Schools Computer Fund). The fund was a great idea but had some short
comings;
•	The original plan of 1:1 for all students in high school worked out
to be too expensive so it was 1:1 for years 9-12. (i.e. no funding for
year 8’s)
•	Schools were given $1,000 per computer that they would need to buy
to bring them up to 2:1 (and then later 1:1) (i.e. if you have 60
computers and 600 kids you get $240,000 to buy 240 computers) but at
the time of the first roll out the cheapest notebook on the CUA
(Common Use Arrangement) was $1,100. There were no netbooks on the CUA
and the Macs were even more expensive.
•	Schools were *originally* given no extra funding for installing the
computers e.g. network cabling, power outlets, servers, wireless
access points, class room fit outs, etc… This was fixed very well by
the state government though so I can’t complain anymore.

Basically it was a great idea but with not enough money put behind it
leavings schools struggling to implement it.