DET pursues e-mail accounts despite computer rollout failure

By Jennifer Leete

Federation has been pursuing the matter of the failure of the NSW Government to provide schools with computers via the 2004 computer rollout for several months now, with the previous Minister as well as the new one.

For an even longer period of time the union has been pursuing the issue of the need for a proper provision of technology support for schools. Since 2002 Federation's policy has been that in addition to computer coordinators, who should be given time to deal with teaching and learning issues involving information and communications technology (ICT), technicians to provide technology and systems support are also required. These technology support positions should be allocated in sufficient numbers to ensure that "hands-on" technical support is available for all teachers.

It is absolutely ludicrous that while the Government has failed to properly respond on these issues they are at exactly the same time attempting to rollout teacher and student e-mail accounts as part of its so-called e-learning plan. This of course arises from the signing of an $85 million contract with UNYSIS to roll out the web services system which is currently the subject of a Federation ban (see sidepanel).

So, there aren't enough computers in schools for students or teachers and there are few technicians to keep those computers working, but never mind, e-mail accounts will proceed.

The Government and the Department of Education and Training have failed to address or even acknowledge the important issues which Federation wants resolved. These include training and development; workload; and privacy; issues associated with child protection, including the protection of teachers; and the big ticket item of inadequate technology support.

It has to be said this is at the same time that the Board of Studies has determined that ICT competencies will be integrated into all 7-10 syllabuses so that almost all teachers are expected to teach them and assess them.

In relation to the computer rollout, Federation understands that no school has received any computers via the rollout for 2004.

According to a written response from the new Minister, Carmel Tebbutt, 24,000 computers are to be delivered to schools before June 30 and these will include the computers that were to have been delivered to schools in semester 2 of 2004. It seems, however, that the delivery won't begin until March "following the finalisation of delivery and installation arrangements with vendors".

Nevertheless, information provided by schools to the Federation confirms that some schools will not receive any additional computers until the last half of 2005.

In the last State Budget the Government allocated $544 million for its so-called Technology for Learning Program. The Government claims the failure to provide any computers to schools in 2004 arose from a Treasury decision that all government agencies were to move to purchase computers using capital funds rather than leasing them.

It was not until November 2004 that then Minister Andrew Refshauge announced that this process was completed and that because of savings generated by the move to a 4-year capital purchase program and a reduction in price of the computers, secured through the 'request for quotation' process, there would be additional enhancement for schools. These include the employment over the next three years of 129 extra technical staff members to provide technical support for ICT in schools.

On the basis of figures supplied by the Department it is very hard to tell whether in fact these positions, which will be phased in very slowly over the three year period, are being provided at the expense of additional computers to schools.

Also arising from the Treasury decision, those schools which have been leasing computers have been instructed that when current leases expire they are not to be renewed. Many school principals have raised concerns about this. A recent letter to the Federation from Ms Tebbutt says: "The Department has identified those schools that currently lease ICT equipment additional to those allocated through the Computers in Schools Program and Treasury has provided funds to assist these schools with the cash-flow pressures associated with the transition. The assistance to be provided to schools will be in the form of a low interest loan, specifically tailored to ensure that loan repayments combined with the payment of any remaining lease fees do not exceed existing commitments."

Jennifer Leete is the Deputy President.

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