Kyanar:

geekiegeek: So do we hold back the kids that can afford it because some cant?

Not allowing schools to mandate expensive technology as part of the stationery list is hardly "holding back" the kids.  That's rubbish.

If schools want to take this approach, they should be providing the devices for all students, not putting it on the parents to provide them.  If they chose to, they could even make part of the cost back by setting up a scheme allowing students/families to buy them at the end of the year.  If they insist on requiring parents to bring them in, then WINZ needs to start paying out to buy laptops and iPads (and that'll go down a treat with National and ACT supporters) or the school itself needs to find a way to ensure that all students can get these devices affordably (maybe the school could run a layby scheme or something where parents can pay in instalments for a device, and it stays at the school overnight until paid off).

But even still, it all rolls back to "Every Child has the Right to a Free Education".  If we start requiring them to bring in $300-$1200 devices just to learn at the same pace as the rest of the class then.. well, yes.  The other kids should be held back.  Every kid needs education, and that education should be universal.  If parents want to send their kids to a school demanding iPads and laptops, then that parent needs to send their kid to private school.  End of story.