A WA parliamentary question addresses the financial and logistical implications of providing teachers with laptops, following an unfunded commitment made in an enterprise bargaining agreement. The Minister's response indicates that the funding and implementation details are under review.

AnsweredQoN 487Legislative Council
Asked
29 August 2001
Portfolio
Education

QuestionView source ↗

(1) When teachers are issued with laptop computers, what is their personal contribution both in dollar terms, and as a percentage of computer cost? (2) Will the computers be comprehensively insured? (3) If yes, who will bear this cost and what is the approximate cost per unit? (4) If a computer is infected with a virus, whose responsibility will it be to fix the problem? (5) Will a replacement computer be made available to the teacher while the computer is being fixed? (6) In a school with, say, 50 teachers with laptop computers, how many computer technicians will be placed in the school to service teachers’ operational requirements? Hon G.T. GIFFARD

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(6) The previous Minister for Education made an unfunded commitment in the enterprise bargaining agreement to provide all teachers with low-cost access to laptop computers for personal and work use.  The funding requirements to meet this commitment - which could be as high as $32 million over four years - and related implementation details, are being considered in the current budget round.
(2) Will the computers be comprehensively insured? (3) If yes, who will bear this cost and what is the approximate cost per unit? (4) If a computer is infected with a virus, whose responsibility will it be to fix the problem? (5) Will a replacement computer be made available to the teacher while the computer is being fixed? (6) In a school with, say, 50 teachers with laptop computers, how many computer technicians will be placed in the school to service teachers’ operational requirements? Hon G.T. GIFFARD replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(6) The previous Minister for Education made an unfunded commitment in the enterprise bargaining agreement to provide all teachers with low-cost access to laptop computers for personal and work use.  The funding requirements to meet this commitment - which could be as high as $32 million over four years - and related implementation details, are being considered in the current budget round.
(3) If yes, who will bear this cost and what is the approximate cost per unit? (4) If a computer is infected with a virus, whose responsibility will it be to fix the problem? (5) Will a replacement computer be made available to the teacher while the computer is being fixed? (6) In a school with, say, 50 teachers with laptop computers, how many computer technicians will be placed in the school to service teachers’ operational requirements? Hon G.T. GIFFARD replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(6) The previous Minister for Education made an unfunded commitment in the enterprise bargaining agreement to provide all teachers with low-cost access to laptop computers for personal and work use.  The funding requirements to meet this commitment - which could be as high as $32 million over four years - and related implementation details, are being considered in the current budget round.
(4) If a computer is infected with a virus, whose responsibility will it be to fix the problem? (5) Will a replacement computer be made available to the teacher while the computer is being fixed? (6) In a school with, say, 50 teachers with laptop computers, how many computer technicians will be placed in the school to service teachers’ operational requirements? Hon G.T. GIFFARD replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(6) The previous Minister for Education made an unfunded commitment in the enterprise bargaining agreement to provide all teachers with low-cost access to laptop computers for personal and work use.  The funding requirements to meet this commitment - which could be as high as $32 million over four years - and related implementation details, are being considered in the current budget round.
(5) Will a replacement computer be made available to the teacher while the computer is being fixed? (6) In a school with, say, 50 teachers with laptop computers, how many computer technicians will be placed in the school to service teachers’ operational requirements? Hon G.T. GIFFARD replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(6) The previous Minister for Education made an unfunded commitment in the enterprise bargaining agreement to provide all teachers with low-cost access to laptop computers for personal and work use.  The funding requirements to meet this commitment - which could be as high as $32 million over four years - and related implementation details, are being considered in the current budget round.
(6) In a school with, say, 50 teachers with laptop computers, how many computer technicians will be placed in the school to service teachers’ operational requirements? Hon G.T. GIFFARD replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(6) The previous Minister for Education made an unfunded commitment in the enterprise bargaining agreement to provide all teachers with low-cost access to laptop computers for personal and work use.  The funding requirements to meet this commitment - which could be as high as $32 million over four years - and related implementation details, are being considered in the current budget round.
Hon G.T. GIFFARD replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(6) The previous Minister for Education made an unfunded commitment in the enterprise bargaining agreement to provide all teachers with low-cost access to laptop computers for personal and work use.  The funding requirements to meet this commitment - which could be as high as $32 million over four years - and related implementation details, are being considered in the current budget round.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(6) The previous Minister for Education made an unfunded commitment in the enterprise bargaining agreement to provide all teachers with low-cost access to laptop computers for personal and work use.  The funding requirements to meet this commitment - which could be as high as $32 million over four years - and related implementation details, are being considered in the current budget round.
(1)-(6) The previous Minister for Education made an unfunded commitment in the enterprise bargaining agreement to provide all teachers with low-cost access to laptop computers for personal and work use.  The funding requirements to meet this commitment - which could be as high as $32 million over four years - and related implementation details, are being considered in the current budget round.

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