January 2012     Every Australian student in Years 9-12 will have access to a computer when they return to their school desks on the first day of term next year due to the government's $2.4 billion Digital Education Revolution.

School Education Minister Peter Garrett said education authorities across the country have already installed more than 713,000 computers, with the final tranche of computers to be installed over the summer holidays in time for the first day of the new school year.

All computers have been purchased and allocated by school authorities, taking the total to be delivered under the program to more than 786,000 computers since the first computers were installed in 2008.

“Our school computers rollout has delivered real benefits to students and schools who would have otherwise missed out on the education opportunities that new technology brings,"  Mr Garrett said.  “Thanks to the Gillard Government, every senior high school student is now able to develop the skills they will need to go on to higher education or enter the workforce when they finish school.”

Mr Garrett said the school computer program was of extra benefit to students and teachers in rural and remote locations, who can now access online education resources.

“For example, students in remote locations can study a second language by communicating online and in real-time with native language speakers in other countries. History students can access a wealth of digital archives from museums in Australia and across the world, and students in the outback can interact and learn with their peers in the inner-city,” he said.

“The Government is also investing in providing the extra digital resources teachers and students need to make the most of the technology, including a $41 million digital package to support the implementation of the Australian curriculum.

Under the National Secondary School Computer Fund, state and territory governments and non-government school systems are responsible for purchasing and delivering the computers in their schools.

From information provided by the Minister for School Education, 16 December 2011.

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