Computer charges courtesy of Julia Gillard
28 Oct 2011
Media release Parents forced to pay additional charges for computers under Labor’s computers in schools programme can thank Julia Gillard’s mismanagement, Christopher Pyne, Shadow Minister for Education said today.
“In the year of decision and delivery Julia Gillard has broken a clear election promise to provide free computers to students,” Mr Pyne said.
“The Government changed the programmes guidelines allowing parents to be charged fees,” he said.
“The charges might include insurance costs, an additional fee to allow students to take the laptop home at night, or a charge to be involved with the programme in the first place.
“If parents can’t stump up the extra money, then their child might miss out on the computer, or miss out on being able to take it home creating very apparent inequities in the classroom.
“Students with parents who can afford the additional costs walk out at the end of the day with their free laptop. Students whose parents can’t afford the fee walk out with nothing. This programme should be renamed the Digital Embarrassment Revolution.
“When so many Australians are suffering from the economic pain that comes with higher cost of living, to be slugged with an additional fee to take home computers that were meant to be free is a betrayal.
“The Computers in Schools programme is taking on Building the Education Revolution proportions of mismanagement.
“It is high farce that the Prime Minister is claiming to be opposed to additional charges being passed onto parents when her Government changed the guidelines to allow it.
“It is dishonesty writ large for Ms Gillard to say that no parent should have to put their hand in their pocket for additional fees, when these charges first appeared while she was Minister for Education and nothing was done to stop it,” Mr Pyne said.
October 28, 2011
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