Govt has to decide on school computers

Press, 9 March 1982, Page 23

Govt has to decide on school computers

COMPUTERS IN SCHOOLS Special Report

Contrary to previous reports the Government has still not decided specifications for computer hardware and software needs for secondary schools. The Government has invited the Department of Education and the Computer Services Division of the State Services Commission to draw up the specifications. These specifications will set down the requirements of a microcomputer or microcomputers for secondary schools. The Minister of Education, Mr Wellington, told “The Press” that the specifications are in the hands of the Computer Services Division. He said he hoped that draft specifications would be

discussed with the Education Department by April at the latest.

“The finalised specifications will be released by the Computer Services Division as a public document that will be available on request,” he said. “Commercial organisations will then have time to submit proposals based on these specifications.” Mr Wellington said that “the proposals will be evaluated and a decision will be taken by the Computer Services Division on those proposals that meet the specifications.” .

Because there is no Government policy on the matter, the Minister was not able to say whether the “decision” will result in sub-

sidies being given for the chosen equipment or whether it will simply result in a recommendation to schools to help them decide which equipment to purchase. A departmental officer said that Mr Wellington had been concerned for some time about the issue. On his initiative a consultative committee • on computing in schools was set up to study the use of computers and syllabus issues and the chairman of that committee would produce the suggested specifications. The Minister was also interested in keeping hi? colleagues in Parliament informed on the matter, said the officer. This is one reason why the specifications

would be brought before a Cabinet committee before they were released. He emphasised that as there is no policy yet it was not possible to discuss subsidies. The Government had no intention of penalising in the future schools which had purchased their own equipment.

The departmental officer confirmed that the Minister stood - by. his statement last month that computer education was “desirable” rather than essential. Reading, writing and arithmetic were considered, the essential subjects in a school’s curriculum but the Minister still attached importance to computer education.

The subject of computers in schools is not far behind teacher unemployment as a controversial subject in educational circles this year. Over the next three weeks we will feature the topic in this section of “The Press.” This week we introduce the subject and report on the activities of the Government. Next week we will talk to the newly-appointed lecturer in computer education at Christchurch Teachers’ College and describe the activities of the college. t On the next Tuesday we will examine the New Zea-land-developed Poly system and discuss other aspects.