Disillusioned digital divide

new-zealand-labour-party

Thu Feb 11 2016 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

Disillusioned digital divide

Thursday, 11 February 2016, 8:45 am
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party

10 February 2016

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

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

a.supporter:hover {background:#EC4438!important;} @media screen and (max-width: 480px) { #byline-block div.byline-block {padding-right:16px;}}

Using Scoop for work?

Scoop is free for personal use, but you’ll need a licence for work use. This is part of our Ethical Paywall and how we fund Scoop. Join today with plans starting from less than $3 per week, plus gain access to exclusive Pro features.

Join Pro Individual Find out more

Find more from New Zealand Labour Party on InfoPages.