National Secondary School Computer Fund

Australian secondary schools most in need of new information technology will be able to make an application to the $1 billion National Secondary School Computer Fund.

The Rudd Government has undertaken an initial audit of Australia’s secondary schools and found that 937 of them have a computer to student ratio of 1:8 or worse. The ratio only counts computers that are four years or younger.

The audit identified 295,972 students in the 937 secondary schools as benefiting from the first round offer. Seventy per cent of the students attended State Government schools, 20 per cent attended Catholic schools and 10 per cent attended Independent schools.

The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations has written to the 937 schools and invited them to apply for funding in the first round to increase their computer to student ratio to 1:2.

The audit found that the average computer to student ratio in Australian secondary schools for years 9 to 12 students is 1:5.

As promised the Rudd Government will deliver the first $100 million of funding by June.

This is the first part of the Rudd Government’s plan to deliver a Digital Education Revolution and bring our schools into the 21st Century, ensuring all students in years 9 to 12 have access to up-to-date information and communication technology in their classrooms.

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