News4 mins ago
Brown's free computers
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http://news.bbc.co.uk...education/8449485.stm
Is it wise to spend £300m on this scheme, when the country is almost bankrupt?
/// Families who would qualify for the full package would be those on incomes of less than £15,500 or on benefits such as Income Support or Job Seekers' Allowance.///
I may be generalising but aren't some of these families, those who already have the latest large wide-screen Televisions along with the latest games machines?
Is it wise to spend £300m on this scheme, when the country is almost bankrupt?
/// Families who would qualify for the full package would be those on incomes of less than £15,500 or on benefits such as Income Support or Job Seekers' Allowance.///
I may be generalising but aren't some of these families, those who already have the latest large wide-screen Televisions along with the latest games machines?
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I may be generalising but aren't some of these families, those who already have the latest large wide-screen Televisions along with the latest games machines?
Yes thats a very large generalisation.
Maybe if we can get more kids off the streets and back into their rooms hopefully doing something constructive our economy may pick up slightly?
Is it wise to spend £300m on this scheme, when the country is almost bankrupt?
Probably not, but we'll have to wait in anticipation and see.
Yes thats a very large generalisation.
Maybe if we can get more kids off the streets and back into their rooms hopefully doing something constructive our economy may pick up slightly?
Is it wise to spend £300m on this scheme, when the country is almost bankrupt?
Probably not, but we'll have to wait in anticipation and see.
I can see benefits of giving children access to the Internet, but I do sometimes wonder if those who can show a low income don't end up getting more, paid for by 'the rest', that much of 'the rest' can not afford for themselves.
Seems to me that if the schools taught as they should all children would get sufficient Internet experience anyway without free/subsidised laptops/broadband.
I'm not massively against the scheme, but as you say, in these times of proposed cutbacks, there are probably better areas to spend our public funds on.
Seems to me that if the schools taught as they should all children would get sufficient Internet experience anyway without free/subsidised laptops/broadband.
I'm not massively against the scheme, but as you say, in these times of proposed cutbacks, there are probably better areas to spend our public funds on.
Or looked at another way - If I'm a child struggling in a familly where nobody is working or gives a T0ss about me, I'd get a chance to get on line and access the free revision sites, past papers.
I'd be able to look things up get and submit my homework by e-mail .
In short I'd get the same chances that kids from richer backrounds have?
I'd be able to look things up get and submit my homework by e-mail .
In short I'd get the same chances that kids from richer backrounds have?
I'm with Jake on this.
Why should a child not have the chances to learn with the essential tools needed for todays education (a laptop) just because their parents are on benefits. It's not the childs fault.
To be honest my biggest concern would be some of the more uncaring parents seeing their childs nice new laptop and thinking "that's £300 if I sell it". I would hope that some way of stopping this happening has been thought of.
Why should a child not have the chances to learn with the essential tools needed for todays education (a laptop) just because their parents are on benefits. It's not the childs fault.
To be honest my biggest concern would be some of the more uncaring parents seeing their childs nice new laptop and thinking "that's £300 if I sell it". I would hope that some way of stopping this happening has been thought of.
It would seem that these computers are to be used for setting homework, taking another load of work off our already 'Overworked Teachers', whatever happened to the text book/exercise book method?
If these computers are indeed needed, why lap-tops, or why new ones?
Most large companies change their computers every 3 years, the perfectly good used ones, either end up in skips or are collected by charities and shipped to Africa.
If these computers are indeed needed, why lap-tops, or why new ones?
Most large companies change their computers every 3 years, the perfectly good used ones, either end up in skips or are collected by charities and shipped to Africa.
I don't know many companies that still change machines every 3 years - most of mine here are 5 or more before they go some older.
The hard disks are almost always destroyed for data security.
When you add the cost of collection, refurbishing, testing to make sure that they are safe and still functional the savings you'd make are very small. Especially when their speed of operation will be quite slow.
Incidently - all this stuff about "they'll just use it for facebook" is a lot of rot too.
Things like facebook are an important 21century skill - networking with peers, learning how to collaborate and share information and ideas is just as important as leaning who won the battle of Hastings - and a damn sight more usefull.
Geezers comment about the defecit is a complete red herring. Addressing this will not come from scratching together some savings found behind the sofa.
You cannot save your way out of large scale debt - you have to earn your way out of it!
The debt can only be addressed by having as many people in employment as possible - this is exactly what projects like this are working towards
The hard disks are almost always destroyed for data security.
When you add the cost of collection, refurbishing, testing to make sure that they are safe and still functional the savings you'd make are very small. Especially when their speed of operation will be quite slow.
Incidently - all this stuff about "they'll just use it for facebook" is a lot of rot too.
Things like facebook are an important 21century skill - networking with peers, learning how to collaborate and share information and ideas is just as important as leaning who won the battle of Hastings - and a damn sight more usefull.
Geezers comment about the defecit is a complete red herring. Addressing this will not come from scratching together some savings found behind the sofa.
You cannot save your way out of large scale debt - you have to earn your way out of it!
The debt can only be addressed by having as many people in employment as possible - this is exactly what projects like this are working towards
hate to shock a few of you but this kind of thing has been going on for a few years.
you lot must live in the posh areas. someone i know, her lad was given one over 12 months ago by tameside council. all he does with it is play games on it every night.
6 years ago part of Manchester near me had a scheme to get people on line.
you lot must live in the posh areas. someone i know, her lad was given one over 12 months ago by tameside council. all he does with it is play games on it every night.
6 years ago part of Manchester near me had a scheme to get people on line.
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