Labor commits $70 million to fund laptops for Years 10 to 12 students

EVER Year 10 student at a South Australian public school will receive a free laptop under a $70 million State Government commitment — the federal program was scrapped in 2014.

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ALL Year 10 students at public schools will receive laptops under a $70 million State Government commitment.

They will be allowed to take them home each night for homework and will get to keep the computers after graduating.

By 2021, all students in Years 10 to 12 will have personal laptops. A trial will start in Term 2 this year, with a roll-out to all Year 10s next year.

Education Minister Susan Close said learning was “no longer constrained to just within the school”.

“Providing laptops to students will allow them to take their learning with them, empowering them (with) opportunity to learn anywhere and at any time,” she said.

It comes after the Government announced on Sunday it would spend tens of millions of dollars on upgrading broadband speeds in schools and preschools over two years.

That policy was attacked by the Opposition as an uncosted “thought bubble”.

Premier Jay Weatherill said: “Coupled with a major upgrade to broadband speeds, public school students are being set up to succeed in a world where online learning and literacy has become critical to education.

“Unfortunately, not every family can afford a home computer, let alone personal laptops for their children.

“Labor believes that education should be accessible to everyone, and this initiative will help our public school students to get ahead.”

A $264 million federal scheme for high school students to receive free laptops was scrapped in 2013.