General Chat

Interesting report from July:

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/372076/poor-it-deals-could-cost-schools-millions

My Daughter has one as do the whole school , but all we had to pay was £24.oo for the year for insurance and maintenance. She also brings it home .. I think its fab but no way would i pay to buy one :o)
Rosex

Rosie,,,,,,,,sweet,,~~~~~~~~~~~~~

how are you girl ........lovely to see your name. <3

I remember seeing a doc about that Maggie...found this bit particularly interesting from your link.......

As well as facing crippling bills, the accountant also said schools were being overcharged. "For example, a laptop that has a price of between £350 and £400 is charged at £3,750," an accountant told the BBC. "Some schools were having 100-200 laptops delivered at this price."

In a statement, the Department for Education blamed the issue on "very poor decision making from schools and opportunistic/predatory sales tactics from suppliers".

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

~~~~waves~~~~~ to Rose x

I saw the programme about that scam, one school ended up paying about a quarter of a million pound for one photocopier that should have only cost £1700

Roy

IF a school insists it's children have i-pads at school, they should either do what Rose's daughter's school does, or buy in bulk from a reputable firm at a reducton (definitely not a cold caller or travelling salesman), loan to those unwilling to buy,or sell at the (reduced) price they paid.
Academies are apparently funded by businesses - there must be one or more in the country funded by a computer company who could sell to all Academies.

I agree Sue, I have read of many students with autism also benefiting greatly from having an ipad for various reasons.


My 13 and 14 year old grandchildren are both have them through a scheme whereby the school buys them and then the parents pay a monthly fee.

The daft thing is, although it was on the school's advice because it would help with studies etc., they are rarely used in school. When my son queried this, he was told that some of the teachers didn't make full use of them.... :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S


I think ipads are brilliant and would love one - but not at the price they are... :-D

Best answer: Chromebook $99 for education
http://betanews.com/2012/12/10/google-slashes-chromebook-price-to-99-for-public-educators/

State funded schools should never require that parents fund any particular item of equipment based on the brand. In the UK and prob. Australia it is illegal under the rules of public sector procurement.

Any school sponsoring a finance scheme for the purchase of such devices would also be in further hot water. Unfortunately there have been far too many cases of well meaning but technically and financially not-at-all-savvy heads and governors who have signed up to expensive IT schemes leaving years of debt and no benefit to the children. The iPad scam is just the latest of many.

In any case how a device which does even have a keyboard can have educational merit is questionable. Special needs is of course another matter.

A far better buy would be some Raspberries and how to build stuff with them.

Unfortunately practically all junior teachers and most senior level are mathematically incompetent and more than challenged when it comes to IT. Most of the country is in the same boat right up the Cabinet so I guess it is par for the cause.

Sorry for the kids though, they deserve better.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ to Kay . sorry im late back lol . i would rather watch paint dry than spend time on here lololo ~~~~~~~~~~~ to all
xx

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2255546/School-spent-500-000-giving-pupils-iPads-admits-HALF-broken.html

Half of the 1200 Ipads supplied to the school are now broken...

How good to hear of somebody having a forty minute walk to school.

For most it seems to be a five minute ride in a car with hardly anybody cycling.

I can remember having to find the money for a slide-rule when I was at school and that was hard enough.