It's a bit rich giving kids a computer each when most teachers don't have one for their personal use.

My wife has been teaching for a thousand years, and just last week she was put into a ballot for a laptop, the school(private) not being able to provide the 80 something staff with one all at once.

I agree that the computer business is a stunt. But perhaps these smug liberal hacks would like to spend a moment on a real issue, and discuss the destruction of education, particularly higher education, under Howard. Of course, that might disrupt their nauseating sycophancy.

I agree bushbasher, Rudd should also spend a moment on the real issues here and not just talk slogans of digital schools, broadband and education revolutions. I don't know what kind of "revolution" he is going to get for the little amount of money he has allocated.

Teachers are also going to need more training and to do more work to put their content online if the computers are going to be of real use. Otherwise they will all just sit there.

Environmentally these computers will use more power and create lots more land fill every three years.

I don't hear anyone saying that a lack of computers is the problem with our education system.

Mr Rudd talks of a skill shortage. Where is he going to get the IT staff to support all these extra computers? And for them to be really useful they will want to employ content creators to put more of the curriculum on the computers.

I like the Coalition education rebate that gives me more choice as to where I spend my rebate. That is a key difference between the Coalition and Labor. Labor thinks they know best and where all the money should be spent.

Rudd is so media managed with all his work shopped advertising agency slogans that mean very little. He has done so much to make this election more like a plastic US presidential campaign and has lowered the tone of debate. He isn't debating on a lot of the big issues that I would have thought Labor supports hold so dear. They should watch out that they may actually get the Liberal wanna be that Rudd is pretending to be and not the union hack they want(only his cabinet will be full of union hacks).

I agree that Rudd has said nothing of interest on education. But I can see no way that he could possibly be as bad as Howard: on education, Howard has been an unmitigated disaster.

this might not be so bad. there are cheap, light laptops developed recently for 3rd world kids which would be very suitable for ozzie school kids as well.

they are a substitute for books, and would actually reduce the weight of school bags. with texts down-loaded, the cost as well as weight of books would be removed. and they're tough, no moving parts as hard drive is replaced with flash memory.

no telling what actual program kevvie has in mind, but ozzies are used to the mushroom treatment and after the commentariat has earned their stipendium, they will submit with cap in hand and a muttered "gorbless, guvnor."

In 1979 when I was on my two eldest children's Primary School P&C, our Committee was pressing the system for in-service computer training for teachers and provided the funds for two computers to be installed in the school as a starter. Bugger all eventuated from the education establishment until 1998 (19 years later) when my youngest son joined an experimental 'notebook' year 8 class in high school where I went into debt to purchase a Toshiba laptop for over $3000.

The system was still not prepared by having the curriculum available on the laptops but at least it was a step in the right direction.

By virtue of access to a computer, learning to touch type and become familiar with computer technology and programs,my son developed computer skills which has enabled him to move straight into the workforce where a high degree of computer skills were required. He also developed a talent for graphic design which he is persuing post graduation.

I am on my 4th generation computer and only wish I had access to the technology 50 years ago.

Technological development is increasingly reducing the costs of what is no longer a luxury in education. The Rudd proposal is final recognition of the usefulness of the technology and a necessary first step if Australian students are to experience an education revolution and move into the 21st Century