FREE LAPTOPS FOR KIDS YR3-YR9

[Old Daffodil]

I bet it will be open to abuse. Parent can say the computer was stolen and sell it. My children are working long hours to pay for their childrens computers.

Having said that it is hard for children who do not have access to a computer to keep up with the children in a classroom who do. It is not fair that they will not be competing for results in exams with the same access to information.

[Scunner]

The World is open to abuse. Anywhere that help and assistance is offered will attract abuse.

Once again, "parents can say the computer was stolen and sell it" - where is this different to "parents can say the clarinet was stolen and sell it".

Laptops for kid is new, the concept is generations old - but plenty of blinkered views I see   Perhaps the prejudice is that well bred families get clarinets and wouldn't dream of selling them but laptops will go to scumbag families who will have a postcard up in Tesco the same evening?

[marytheresa]

Well keith thats  put me in a pigeon box then I live in Hackney defintely scumbag brigade according to rumor:D lol!!

[Old Daffodil]

How much demand is there for a clarinet?:DHow much demand for a computer?

[Scunner]

It's nothing to do with demand for either - it's to do with perception of what people might do if they are entrusted with one.

[Old Daffodil]

I bought a child a Nintendo DS for a Christmas present as they had very little and their Mother took it to Cash Convertors a week later to fund her drink and drug problem. I know the majority of people who ask for a computer will probably benefit but things like that do happen.

[Scunner]

Would she have taken a school laptop to Cash Converters? If yes, she'd have taken their clarinet there too

So all in all, you agree with me lol

[Jacqui Harvey]

I think £300,000 could be better spent by our Government at this moment. There are far more urgent things needed. A better and more economical way to give children access to computers would be to put more dedicated computer rooms in libraries, also have after school clubs where children get more use of computers.
I worked in the local school it was the first one to get a computer in Aberdeenshire, our school had one computer between 28 primary aged children, but they all managed to use it, both during school times and in the after school club.
We did not have a computer at home at the time,  however, my daughter loved her time using the school computer, and later on went to University and gained an HND in computing.  So not having the use of a computer at primary age did not deter her.

[incir]

I think this is an excellent initiative.  There may be many reasons why a family is on benefits but at the end of the day the children shouldn't be marginalised. Even primary school children are given a lot of homework which is computer based, whether it's research or actually producing something on the computer.  Schools now take as a given that there is both access to a computer and internet access at home.