Australian Labour Election Promise - Money for Computers

[coolglobal]

Yes Labor has won the Federal Election in Australia, and the new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has said that education is the first thing they are going to address. They are planning on spending on a grand scale for computers in schools.

This could be a great opportunity of Linux to gain a foothold in the future of computing in Australia.

Ubuntu ~ Debian seize the day

[Nunu]

hey i am not an Australian, But seeing as Melbourne is the new capital of South Africa i guess its ok for me to comment.

Here is the sales pitch 100 000 computers running Linux (ubuntu) for 950 000 Australian credits or 100 000 Computers running windows for 1 000 000 credits.

[coolglobal]

done

[Chilli Bob]

Yeah, Labour have been talking big about these computers in schools, but did you hear Gillard being interviewed on Hack on JJJ last week?? It sounds like if your school already has a computer lab where kids can get access already, then that's pretty much all they are going to get. There were rumours going around that every student would get their own PC, but that's not the real story. My guess is not a lot will change.

[Conspirator45]

I fit that age group and live in australia. If I do get one with windows installed it wont be there long.

[frup]

I fit that age group and live in australia. If I do get one with windows installed it wont be there long.

I doubt you would own it...


Politically Linux in schools is interesting I think. Firstly the savings to the tax payer are awesome, and the sorts of things computers are used for in anything below university (at least 4 years ago when I was last at high school) aren't exactly locked in or platform dependent. The only reason to keep MS is the corporate pressure and the FUD.

I think many parents for example might unreasonably worry that with "second rate" software or the like that their child's education might not be as productive. Personally I think it might be the other way round. (Trying new things stimulates the mind and access to technology students might not have at home surely is good!)

From an admin point of view things are good too... long term. I don't know how resourced the teachers are but my aunty is a teacher in Australia and for 2 years had to work in the outback teaching anything! She taught photoshop for a while and then Indonesian and German... not exactly things she knew much about. Actual IT departments no doubt are probably better resourced.

When I was at high school in my 3rd form (First year high school age 13-14) computers class all of us except the most retarded people knew more than the teacher... not because we were necessarily smarter but because she was in her 60's. Basically all she knew was how to teach touch typing. I am sure that teachers of her calibre would be quite hesitant to learn something new. My girlfriend is also doing an education degree and has talked to me in detail about the bureaucracy surrounding the curriculum and how much many teacher hate or fear changes... That is in New Zealand though.

[slimdog360]

This computer thing is more important to the poorer schools. Particularly those more remote areas which have been completely ignored by the Howard government.