Top head says money spent by schools on 'fad' iPads could have funded 8,000 teachers

Schools should stop wasting money buying iPads and other “shiny gadgets” for pupils and instead hire more teachers, the leader of Britain’s largest headteachers’ organisation says today.

A quarter of a billion pounds a year is being spent on computers in schools, according to the latest figures from Besa, the educational suppliers’ organisation.

This is enough to pay the wages of more than 8,000 teachers or build 40 secondary schools, according to Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT).

In a personal blog published today, he asks whether the spending “can ... possibly be justified at a time of austerity”. He adds: “I think we’d be better spending the money on recruiting and training great teachers and sticking them in front of old-fashioned blackboards.”

His comments come as 35,000 people from the world of education are due to descend on the annual Bett Show in London this week – the showpiece for education suppliers such as Google and Microsoft to display their latest educational hardware.



http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/top-head-says-money-spent-by-schools-on-fad-ipads-could-have-funded-8000-teachers-9986673.html

Classic debate.  Conservatives want hardware, because there is the feeling that it does not extinguish or burn up.  Labor, on the other hand, is used whether or not it is put to good use.  With hardware, you've got something to show for it, argue conservatives.

But, like computers or automobiles, hardware soon becomes outdated, or breaks down and doesn't fix itself.  You gotta think about, not tangibility, but utility.

Technology replacing teachers is the wrong way to go it is supposed to replacing textbooks and blackboards

but Any School with iPads is wasting money. the problem is too many people that get to make decisions only have enough knowledge to make the wrong choice (i.e they know what the advertisement tells them).
I know for a fact there is no educational programs of Curriculum quality on iPads (that are not also available on other platforms) and that you can buy an Acer or Dell windows tab with twice the power for half the price.
Schools paying more than double the cost for the status symbol of a logo of a piece of fruit on their electronics ARE being irresponsible with their funding.

If Done properly the cost of a netbook with all the Applications and digital books etc is about the same as buying full sets of 'analogue ' text books. (touch screen tabs are still dearer) there is an additional cost of infrastructure but that is just the modern world (no one had internet bills 30 years ago and most household have them now).

It also Opens up a huge amount of new opportunities for learning and collaboration.

I think in most cases it's elected officials trying to impress the voters by doing something that sounds good on the surface.

Ben_Reilly wrote:I think in most cases it's elected officials trying to impress the voters by doing something that sounds good on the surface.

yes they feed off the ads. quality by association...
but I have had to explain to Multiple people (that are paid a lot to make decisions) that the iPad is not actually magic despite Jobs saying that it was. There is not a single thing they do better than stuff we already have or could supply a lot cheaper. Because Ultimately they are just consumers too and get attracted to shiny things(and there really isn't enough vetting of decision makers, to make sure they aren't too distracted by shiny objects )

considering the average IQ of those involved in education is lower than the average corvid (since they are lefty clones)...I'm not ssurprised they are attracted to shiney things...

darknessss wrote:considering the average IQ of those involved in education is lower than the average corvid (since they are lefty clones)...I'm not ssurprised they are attracted to shiney things...

That's a waste of space, Vic. You haven't inquired into IQs any more that you have priced fried, green tomatoes.

darknessss wrote:considering the average IQ of those involved in education is lower than the average corvid (since they are lefty clones)...I'm not ssurprised they are attracted to shiney things...

actually It is either.... I don't really think the attitude is to do with political leanings
I would call them 'professional politicians or public servants' their only real skill is working the system. So many subsequently get promoted beyond their abilities, just because they know how to get the maximum points on the application doesn't mean they actually know how to do the job.

darknessss wrote:
considering the average IQ of those involved in education is lower than the average corvid (since they are lefty clones).............

 

YOU ignorant right wing turd...

IT'S your little Conservative chums replacing real live teachers with hi-tech' 'toys' that are the cause of the problems ~ not your imaginary "lefty clones" !    

" You ignorant right wing turd" can you ever reply to a post without using insulting words? It's tits like you that encourage posters to reply with more insults. Have you ever used these words in face to face arguments? I bet you haven't, you'd be frightened you would get a face full of fist.

Lone Wolf wrote:

darknessss wrote:
considering the average IQ of those involved in education is lower than the average corvid (since they are lefty clones).............

 

YOU ignorant right wing turd...

IT'S your little Conservative chums replacing real live teachers with hi-tech' 'toys' that are the cause of the problems ~ not your imaginary "lefty clones" !    

Ahh the village pig grunts yet again....
doubless at some point down the line our bearly weaned squeeker will cry foul and accuse me of attacking HIM first....

scuse me...let it NOT be forgotten just WHO started the vileness....


grunt grunt little piggy.....

I feel sorry for him some times, it's obvious he is longing to grow up so he can play with the bigger boys.I bet he gets picked on and bullied at School.