Who makes decisions regarding the brands, software and use of the computers acquired under the Fund?
The Australian Government will not play a role in determining the procurement of ICT through the Fund. Purchasing of ICT equipment through the Fund will take place at a state, sector or school level. Government and non-government education authorities have primary responsibility for decisions about design, purchase and use of educational hardware and software to meet the specific needs of their schools, including internet access and the use of school computers at home. The Government has developed The Better Practice Guide: ICT in Schools to assist schools with their decisions to deploy ICT under the Fund. Information and advice regarding open source software has been provided in the Guide.
Can parents be charged for computers provided through the National Secondary School Computer Fund?
The Australian Government does not support the charging of a fee, levy, co-contribution or bond to parents or carers for a computer provided under the National Secondary School Computer Fund (the Fund). The Fund is specifically designed to improve access for students to computers and the Government does not support the application of mechanisms which may inadvertently disadvantage students, such as those whose parents cannot afford to pay a fee.
The Government is providing funding of $1,000 per computer and up to $1,500 to support the installation and maintenance of that computer. Schools should develop policies to manage risk from loss, theft, damage or data corruption, rather than charge parents additional fees to cover insurance and warranty costs.
However, there are limited circumstances where a parental co-contribution may be justified in consultation with the parent community.
Maintenance of effort
When the Fund commenced, there were already 210,000 computers under four years old in secondary schools for students in Years 9 to 12. The Government is providing sufficient funding for schools to reach a computer to student ratio of 1:1 including funding for the installation and maintenance of computers. Nationally, this funding will provide for over 786,000 computers, additional to those in place at the commencement of the Fund.
Before the commencement of the Fund, some schools charged parents for computers or a technology fee. The Government acknowledges that in order to maintain the ICT investment for existing computers at the school, these schools may choose to continue to charge a fee. The school, in consultation with parents and the education sector, should determine the manner in which the fees are charged across the parent body, while making it clear that the fee only covers the purchase and maintenance of computers necessary to meet the school’s maintenance of effort obligation.
High end devices/ More expensive devices
The Australian Government is providing funding of $1000 per computer. Some schools have decided to purchase more expensive equipment costing more than $1000 and then to charge a fee to cover the difference in funding. This is a school-based decision. Schools should ensure that parents understand that any fee is associated with the decision to purchase more expensive equipment.
Extending the program
Some schools have decided to bring their total school population across all years to a computer to student ratio of 1:1 and to charge parents for the computers. Schools should note that the Fund is directed towards students in Years 9–12 and decisions to purchase computers for other years is a school based decision and not associated with the Fund. The school, in consultation with parents and the education sector, should determine the manner in which the fees are charged across the parent body, while making it clear that the fee is for the purchase and maintenance of computers for students not covered by the Fund.
Will students be allowed to take a laptop home?
Whether students are allowed to take laptops home is at the discretion of the individual school. This decision will need to be made within the requirements of their education jurisdiction.
How are students with special ICT needs be accommodated under the National Secondary School Computer Fund?
The Government has recognised the need to address the specific requirements for students with a disability in the implementation of the Fund. Following consultations with representatives responsible for students with disability across all education authorities, the Government has adopted a more flexible approach to the use of the Fund, to ensure students are able to benefit from an increase in access to ICT.The majority of students with disability in years 9 to 12 attend mainstream schools and for many, standard computer equipment suits their needs. However, for some students with disability other types of equipment are more appropriate. Schools with students with these needs may choose to purchase other ICT equipment which best supports their students’ learning needs. This may include:
- Multimedia resources,
- Interactive whiteboards,
- Adaptive devices, and
- Interface software
Funding continues to be calculated at the number of computers multiplied by $1000 (per unit) While schools may now apply to use this funding more flexibly for students with disability, the funding formula remains the same.
How are indigenous schools and students being factored into the National Secondary School Computer Fund?
The National Secondary School Computer Fund will provide for all students in senior secondary schooling and this takes into account approximately 33,500 Indigenous students enrolled in years 9 to 12 in Australian Schools.
Are home schooled children eligible to apply for assistance under the National Secondary School Computer Fund?
No, the National Secondary School Computer Fund (the Fund) will provide assistance to schools and school systems, rather than individuals. Children receiving a home schooled education are not eligible to benefit from assistance through the Fund.
If a parent or guardian of a school-aged student would like to purchase a laptop, they may be eligible to apply for a tax refund through the Australian Government’s 50% Education Tax Refund (ETR).
Can students studying by distance education methods benefit from the National Secondary School Computer Fund?
Students in Years 9 to 12, receiving their education by distance education methods, may receive benefit from the National Secondary School Computer Fund (the Fund).
The management of schooling in each jurisdiction is the responsibility of state and territory education authorities. Due to the unique nature of distance education, education authorities will determine whether a distance education school is eligible to participate in the Fund.
A number of distance education schools have received funding through the program. The distance education school will determine if and how students not located on campus will receive access to a computer through the Fund.
Enquiries relating to distance education and the Fund should be directed to the relevant education authority. Contact details for all education authorities in Australia can be found on the Contact Us page.
What support is available to schools for the installation of computers?
The Australian Government has recognised that there are additional costs associated with the implementation of the Fund. Therefore the Government has provided additional funding of $807 million to be provided to education authorities to contribute to the costs of installation, maintenance including technical support for the additional computers purchased through the Fund. The Australian Government will provide funding of up to $2,500 for each additional computer provided under the Fund to increase the number of computers available to students. Computers which are replacing those four years or older will continue to attract funding of $1,000 per unit as infrastructure is already in place. The $807 million additional funding was paid as a one-off payment in 2008 09 to education authorities.
In addition to the $807 million provided for additional costs to support effective deployment, the Australian Government has developed a Better Practice Guide (the Guide) in collaboration with the state and territory education departments and the Catholic and Independent sectors to help schools with their decisions to deploy ICT purchased under the National Secondary Schools Computer Fund.
The Guide provides advice on planning for ICT, as well as more technical, security and infrastructure issues. It links to and builds on frameworks and guidance already being used by schools.
Other than the National Secondary School Computer Fund what other initiatives are available that will provide computers and equipment to schools?
The Computer Technologies for Schools (CTFS) project distributes surplus computer equipment from the Australian Government, State, Territory and local governments, and private companies to state and territory, Independent and Catholic schools across Australia. Equipment is distributed according to need through state and territory networks. Since its inception the CTFS has distributed over 207,000 pieces of ICT equipment. Further information is available at the Computer Technologies for Schools project (CTFS) website.
Are schools allowed to use this extra funding (BER) towards the infrastructure for computers?
Funding may be used for costs related to ICT in the fit-out, only if the ICT items are necessary to make the building operational for the purpose for which it was built. Items which are covered by the guidelines relating to the National Secondary School Computer Fund or the additional funding associated with the deployment of computers under this Fund, will not be funded under any element of BER.
Where is information available about the Australian Government’s cyber safety policy?
All schools will be expected to ensure appropriate content safety mechanisms for students are in place and are consistent with the Australian Government’s cyber safety policy. The issue of cyber safety at the national level is the portfolio responsibility of the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (DBCDE). The DBCDE provides information about the Government’s ongoing commitment to providing a safe online environment for all families through the Cyber Safety Plan and initiatives including NetAlert and Budd:e.
Learn to be cyber smart with budd:e. Full of fun, interactive, self-learning cyber exercises for students in primary and secondary schools. Budd:e is an Australian Government initiative and is available FREE at the Stay Smart Online website or by calling 1800 753 178 to order to CD-ROM.
How will schools dispose of old and damaged computers and other ICT equipment?
The Government is working with state and territory colleagues to determine the process for disposal of computers and other ICT equipment.
The Better Practice Guide: ICT in Schools provides information and recommendations of recycling and/or disposal of computers.
In addition, the Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO) provides information on managing the environmental impact of ICT.
There are also various state and territory government, commercial and not for profit recycling schemes. Planet Ark has developed a website which enables people to search for local recyclers by area and product. More information is available from www.recyclingnearyou.com.au.