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Disillusioned digital divide

10 February 2016

Disillusioned digital divide

The Ministry of Education boss Peter Hughes seems to be under some kind of illusion if he holds the view that “most kids do have a device”, says Labour’s Associate Education spokesperson Jenny Salesa.

“Peter Hughes today made the statement before the Education and Science Select Committee so I invited him to South Auckland where schools don’t have enough money to ensure there are digital devices for all students and where many parents and caregivers cannot afford to purchase a laptop or ipad for each of their children to take to school.

“The reality, especially in South Auckland, is that parents are getting into debt due to the growing demand for their kids to have these modern tools which are essential for learning to ensure all our kids are competitive and keeping up with the technological world we live in.

“If the Government is serious about the role and evolution of digital devices and technology then they need to invest in it. It is simply not fair for parents to stump up for the devices and the software that comes with it, in addition to the ongoing costs of fees and donations, uniforms and stationary.

“The digital divide is really hard on the people of South Auckland and the Ministry’s disillusioned view will certainly not fix the problem, says Jenny Salesa.

ends

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