Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Bookworm]

Ok, I have a gripe.

At the beginning of the year my sister received a laptop, as part of the government computer thingy. The (private) school she goes to decided to go all out and charge the parents extra to get better computers. So, my parents have paid $1000 for this laptop for my sister (available in 3 sums, or 1 go. I think they went the 1 go, but I'm not too sure)

My gripe, however, lies in the way the school is controlling their use of the computer. As far as I was aware (though it's possible I'm wrong) the computers were for the children, not for the school. As well as that, my parents have paid for the computer, so I (and the parents) were under all assumptions that my sister would own the computer.

She did something sneaky when she had the administrator's password (that they were given when initially setting up the computers) and she made herself administrator of her computer, which is fair enough. However, she, and others, were called into the office, made to hand back their computers (under threats including blacking out of their screens for the weekend and other things) where the school deleted games they had on there and made the school administrator of the computers again. That's my first issue. If my sister owns this computer that my parents have paid for, does she not have the right to be administrator of her own computer? And, provided she's not playing games in class time (which is a strange double standard, because the school has provided games in a sharedrive) what right do they have to delete that?

The school becoming administrator again means that the computers turn themselves off between 10pm and 6am. As well as that, they are monitoring what the girls do with their computers, even when they're at home. This is the thing that pisses me off most. While the girls are at school, I complete understand and support restricted computer/internet use, as it's the school's responsibility to care for the girls. However, when they're at home, it is most definitely NOT their job to doctor what they are or aren't are allowed to do. That's fucked up beyond belief. This pisses me off.




Edit: first world problems, eh?

[Azazel]

If your parents had to pay monies for this comp, then one would assume that you had indeed part ownership. If for example the comp was worth $3000 and you paid $1000 then you would own one third of it. Now there are 24 hours in one day, one third of this is 8 hours, the same amount of hours from 10pm till 6 am. Now you could argue to the school that you should have free use of that comp in those hours because you would own them. If they do not agree with this argument ask for a refund and an exchange cheaper comp, at least this way your parents wouldn't be out of pocket for no reason. Does your sister get to keep the comp when she finishes school?

[Bookworm]

I believe my parents need to pay more money when she finishes to keep it.

However, the school didn't put in any of their own money for this. It's government and my parents money, so by your logic, the school has no right to have any sway over how time on the computer is spent.

[Bookworm]

Hmm, just reading here (downloaded the charter) http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/gotoschool/highschool/dernsw/thelaptop.php

And it seems the school retains ownership of the computer.....hmmmmm.....which is a whole other issue.


I guess my issue is less the specifics and more the control the school is exerting over these children.

[Azazel]

Why didn't they ( the school) just tell your parents to go out and but a u beaut lappy and hand it over to them. If your sister "accidently" broke her comp would they replace it?

[Bookworm]

According to the internet information, the laptop is covered under warranty. If it's not malicious damage it will be replaced, however it is at the principal's discretion whether or not the child will be allowed to take it home or if she has to just use a school one day to day.

They couldn't say that because the government gave them money to buy laptops for the kids. If it was just the generic shitty little ones the government was giving out, I would have no issue with this. The fact that my parents have put in their own money for these computers complicates things.

[Wolfe Tone]

My brother got a laptop from the government and it's like an Apple Mac (this is the one not in Boarding school). It's probably a couple of years old in terms of the model and all that but it's still a pretty good piece of machinery.

[Bookworm]

My sister was given an apple mac also, but I'm fairly sure it's the newest model....your parents didn't have to pay any extra?




As an aside, I think this 'every child needs a laptop for school' bullshit is bullshit. It's a flawed idea that I will extrapolate on at some point in the near future.

[Wolfe Tone]

My sister was given an apple mac also, but I'm fairly sure it's the newest model....your parents didn't have to pay any extra?




As an aside, I think this 'every child needs a laptop for school' bullshit is bullshit. It's a flawed idea that I will extrapolate on at some point in the near future.

I'm pretty sure not, it's a small Catholic school which isn't like a proper private school, the majority of parents wouldn't be able to afford/ would not be bothered with paying the 1000 dollars and they do have to give it back at the end.

I think the reason they want every kid with a laptop is that it has become quite important in society to be technologically literate to be able to exist on any level because computers and stuff now account for a solid part of all our buisness, banking, information discourse, socialising etc. I praise that vision although there is probably cheaper and more effective ways of doing it.

[Phenolphthalein]

Why dont you just call up the government and ask them?

[Bookworm]

I think the reason they want every kid with a laptop is that it has become quite important in society to be technologically literate to be able to exist on any level because computers and stuff now account for a solid part of all our buisness, banking, information discourse, socialising etc. I praise that vision although there is probably cheaper and more effective ways of doing it.

I am hardly a computer illiterate person, and I didn't grow up with a personal laptop through school. The wonder of the thing is that most children are able to use computers before highschool age anyway, making that argument void.

The libraries had computers, as well as the school having computer labs that were accessible for some class things. That's more than enough knowledge of computers. Schools are for education of a particular type you can't get at home. Any dumb fuck can teach themselves how to use a computer, there's no need to throw even more shit at teachers who a generally incompetent bunch of fools who can't handle everything they currently need to teach anyway.

Why dont you just call up the government and ask them?

I found the info on the web anyway. But I wonder what their go is with more expensive ones...hmm...can one actually ring up the government?

[Wolfe Tone]

I am hardly a computer illiterate person, and I didn't grow up with a personal laptop through school. The wonder of the thing is that most children are able to use computers before highschool age anyway, making that argument void.

The libraries had computers, as well as the school having computer labs that were accessible for some class things. That's more than enough knowledge of computers. Schools are for education of a particular type you can't get at home. Any dumb fuck can teach themselves how to use a computer, there's no need to throw even more shit at teachers who a generally incompetent bunch of fools who can't handle everything they currently need to teach anyway.

You aren't, no, but it is an increasingly important skill that the longer we go on, the more it becomes like reading. You will find it very difficult to live in our society without being able to read and in 10-20 years, it will be difficult to live in our society without being technically competent. And while 'any dumb fuck' can teach thier kids computer skills, most don't.

[Wolfe Tone]

I found the info on the web anyway. But I wonder what their go is with more expensive ones...hmm...can one actually ring up the government?

Don't quote me, i don't actually know, I just presumed at Sam's school they wouldn't be able to charge parents 1000 dollars each. If you want to ring the government, I'd start with your local member.

[Bookworm]

You aren't, no, but it is an increasingly important skill that the longer we go on, the more it becomes like reading. You will find it very difficult to live in our society without being able to read and in 10-20 years, it will be difficult to live in our society without being technically competent. And while 'any dumb fuck' can teach thier kids computer skills, most don't.

I'm saying that the onus isn't on the parent to teach it, it's on the child to learn it. The vast majority of households own a computer. Simply letting your child use the computer regularly is enough to ensure they become computer literate. No great things are needed to do it, every kid getting a laptop is mostly ridiculous.

As in reading, children pick it up in their own pace through exposure to it. Same goes for computer. If you give them one, they will figure it out.

[Wolfe Tone]

So you don't think we should teach kids to read at school?