Audit exposes Computers in Schools farce

Labor's claim that 300,000 computers were delivered under the Computers in Schools program has been exposed in todays Auditor-General's report.

"In June 2010, Julia Gillard paraded through a school to deliver what was supposedly the 300,000^th computer, but this report shows that by the end of 2010 there were only 268,000 computers installed," said Christopher Pyne, Shadow Minister for Education.

Either Julia Gillard engaged in a stunt, or 32,000 computers have remained uninstalled, uselessly sitting in boxes gathering dust since June last year, which is much worse.

The report shows that Labor has managed to install 268,000 computers after three years. The Government has ten months to deliver the remaining 700,000 before the promised December 2011 deadline!

If after three years they have delivered only a third of the computers, then it seems unlikely they will manage to install the remaining two thirds in less than one year.

Of the computers delivered, the Auditor's report found that a third of principals did not have the resources to utilise them. This would back up the information we have received that computers delivered often remain in boxes for months.

This Government promises, but doesn't deliver. Parents who might have voted for Kevin Rudd, with a son or daughter beginning year 9 in 2008 are now seeing their children begin year 12 having never benefited from the much hyped Computers in Schools program.

Australians should also never forget that the original $1 billion program blew out in its first year by another $1.2 billion.

"It's the same old song from a Government that has made budget blow-outs, and under delivery their anthem," Mr Pyne said.

February 17, 2011

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