What are the real issues in this election?
Bertie and co. keep telling us to get off his case and talk about the real issues, so what are they?
I suppose that depends on who you are, where you stand, what you need.
The nurses think that the main issue is a 35 hour week and more pay.
The consultants think the main issue is to hold what they have.
The teachers think that having one of the largest class sizes in Europe is the main issue.
Lots of people think that the mega house prices, long commutes and lack of child care are the main issues.
Others believe that law and order madness is the main issue.
I asked my firstborn what he thought (he'll be voting for the first time next week). He gave a great answer, that I never thought of, but I like.
He said that the main issue that needs to be resolved in Ireland today is our I.T. situation. We need fast broadband all over Ireland TODAY. We need proper funding in schools for I.T. TODAY. We need to get way up to speed on I.T. in order to have a hope of competing with other countries now and in the future.
We are miles behind. Do you know how many computers the Government have bought for Irish primary schools? NONE. Yes, that's right - ZERO. In around 1998, Gateway GAVE every primary school ONE machine, not the Government. Parents and teachers fundraised to buy others. Tesco got shoppers to collect tokens for more. The Government gave schools grants in 2000 of a couple of grand, to spend on I.T. - software, printers, ink cartridges the whole lot. A few schools managed to buy a computer or two maybe. Nothing for years now, not a penny. Schools got broadband during the last 6-12 months, but it is absolutely dire - so slow. Many schools have returned to dial-up, to get a more reliable, faster service! Imagine! Not one cent has ever been given to schools for upkeep, maintenance, renewal etc.... No grants for building a computer room either! It's a joke, except it's not funny.
We have fallen completely behind in the I.T. field in Ireland, and it could very well BE the main issue.
What do you think?
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
Because I was still on dial-up when I left Ireland, I've never really got to experience the shocking state of the IT infrastructure, but based on what I read in Mulley's blog, sounds like there's a long way to go. Does anyone have that on their list of policies?
Kav, they all say this and that about I.T. in primary schools and what they'll do. I don't believe any of it to be honest. If you're interested check out this link to the I.N.T.O. responses from the various parties - scroll down to page 8.
http://www.into.ie/ROI/HomePagePublications/file,5622,en.pdf
No-one has really promised much about a nationwide roll out of fast broadband as far as I know.
The link was corrupted, sorry. I'll try to post it again in two parts.
http://www.into.ie/ROI/HomePagePublications/
file,5622,en.pdf
No computers in the schools?
How dreadful.
So if students don't have one at home then they're out of luck?
Sweary said that it was taking a month to get broadband for her which is difficult to understand.
Hi Medbh. There are computers in primary schools, but most are there thanks to fundraising - not the Government. The broadband is in schools too (recently) but it's so slow that it's hardly worth using.
my nieces and nephew have a computer in their 3 teacher primary school. However, none of the teachers know how to fix it if there is a glitch. So if a reboot doesn't work they are out of luck.
Their parents are computer illiterate so they don't get much practise on computers.
On the other hand my own 7 year old has to be monitored 24/7 on the internet because thanks to his new spelling skills and google he can meander anywhere on the web.
Since we are a house of two boys and he was researching a birthday party gift for a girl he typed in something akin to girls dot com and ended up shouting in a ferocious panic "i'm somewhere inappropriate, Mom, Quick!!!"
Needless to say that will be a wedding reception story someday.
this is an instance of a little TOO much access to technology.
Hi eashtgalwaywoman!
We have no technical support in our schools really - it's mad! Funny story about your boy :-) My lot are the same. I had to buy a laptop for myself because the PC is always booked! Have your boys tried runescape? It's a nice on-line game. My 10 year old loves it and learns accidentally (always the best way for boys!).
thanks for the tip. We havent tried that yet. We've done rainfall.com , begged for webkinz (denied) club penguin (denied) etc. The learn by accident works well here in this house too :)
that should be starfall.com Rainfall might bring you 'somewhere inappropriate'
Post a Comment