Another broken promise???

[catsnknots]

Students lose right to free laptop as Federal Government scraps Digital Education Revolution

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/students-lose-right-to-free-laptop-as-federal-governme...

In the 2007 election Howard offered a tax refund when you bought your child a new laptop for school... Rudd countered that offer and said he would give each child a free laptop....

Rudd also said he will give you a supplement to help you pay for school costs instead of the tax refund that Howard was giving when you spent money upfront on your own child. 

Now we will lose both of those policies... 

I hope they do go back to the education tax refund when you spend your own money but I doubt that will happen... 

[cherry*135]

Parents have always had to buy school shoes, stationery etc for their kids. These education refund/allowances have only been in place for a few years, they managed for a long time without them.

$820 is a lot of money for school expenses for 1 secondary school student.

NSW had a $50 a year allce prior to the introduction of ETR.

Jan 31, 2013

Labor's school kids bonus will be axed by a coalition government, with Tony Abbott branding the scheme a "cash splash" totally unrelated to education.

The opposition leader confirmed he'd scrap the cash payments to families if elected prime minister, even though the move is likely to be unpopular with voters.

Mr Abbott has been under pressure from the federal government to come clean about the opposition's plans to scrap the scheme, introduced by Labor in the May budget.

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/coalition-will-axe-school-kids-bonus-20130131-2dlzd.ht...

No plans to reinstate the ETR either.

[lakeland27]

'we expect that a government cant be like santa claus'  what an inspired thing to say.. he's electric that guy.

[cherry*135]

 it reads to me that it is only being scrapped for years 10 - 12, but year 9 kids will still get their lap tops?

I am not sure about that. The funding runs out this June. Perhaps it just meant   students at the beginning of 2013 will still get their school laptops.

[cherry*135]

The last of these funded laptops will be delivered to next years year 9 students early 2013 After that time new students entering year 9 will not receive them.

The Australian Government allocated between $1,000 and $1.500 dollars per laptop, which included the software, which apparently they bought from Microsoft for a special edu price.

This “Education Revolution” initiative was never intended to go beyond 4 years.

From some cyber safety website

[*crikey*mate*]

Thanks AM.

But realistically, do the kids really need $1,000 to $1,500 lap tops for the purposes of education?

I don't know too much about computers and all that techy stuff, but I managed 3 years of uni on an $800 lap top (now replaced with "The Mighty Viper" LOL after the hard drive died on the lappy) and that lap top was also our main home computer apart from an ex government computer we bought for $250 8 or 9 years ago.

My kid in uni is doing advanced electrical engineering in mechatronics and nano technology. He won a $6,000 bursary to buy himself whatever IT equipment he needed for his course, but so far has not used it.

he says the reconditioned $300 laptop that we got him for Christmas was working just fine and did everything he needed it to do.

[cherry*135]

No, I wouldn't buy myself a laptop worth $1000-$1500 let alone a school student.

[poddster]

I feel sure that the sitting government will do what ever they choose and can get away with, They dont have anything to lose with broken promises do they?

Gird yourselves between now and election day for a whole heap of spin, misinformatiom, blame laying and booby traps.

It is a normal happening only this time it will be longer and more shrill.

[sniper_patrol]

So this thread isn't another broken promise then? Figures

Why do kids need a new laptop every year. Won't the one they are given in year 7 or 8 do them until school finishes.?

[cueperkins]

I'll have any of the laptops they don't want...someone five fingered mine B-)

[azureline**]

If you look for it, I am sure you will find that the students were never promised a free laptop of their own.... as I recall (and I don't care enough to find proof) he said every student would have access to a computer at school, didn't he?