The South Australian government has detailed a $70-million, five-year Laptops for Students program.
The state government said that by 2021, all year 10, 11 and 12 public school students will have personal laptops under the program.
The government said there would be a progressive rollout of notebooks. A trial will begin at a number of schools in the second term of 2018. In 2019, all year 10 students at public schools will receive laptops.
Under the program, notebooks currently provided to year 10 students under school-based programs will be allocated to other students.
“The Laptops for Students program will ensure every public student has access to a quality device as they enter the senior years of schooling,” SA education and child development minister Susan Close said in a statement.
“A student’s learning is no longer constrained to just within the school, providing laptops to students will allow them to take their learning with them empowering the opportunity to learn anywhere and at any time.”
Yesterday Close and SA Premier Jay Weatherill detailed plans to boost the broadband connections of the state’s schools.
A two-year program is expected to boost the average broadband speeds of public schools and preschools from 10.95 megabits per second to 97.1Mbps.
“Having a faster Internet speed has so many advantages and with styles of learning, teaching and careers rapidly changing – it is absolutely critical that our students are equipped with the best resources and technology to help them to excel,” Close said.