Anger over school's £700 laptop request

2:18pm Saturday 13th September 2008

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By Chris Yandell »

HAMPSHIRE school is at the centre of a storm today after calling on parents to pay up to £700 for laptops for their children.

Couples hit by the credit crunch say they are facing further financial pressure after being asked to help fund their child’s education.

Parents of pupils at Arnewood School, New Milton, claim they are being pressured into buying the Toshiba laptops over a three-year period.

One mother who attended a presentation at the school said: “It felt as if we were being backed into a corner. We felt if we didn’t buy one our daughter would go without.”

The controversial scheme has also been condemned by National Union of Teachers.

Pete Sopowski, secretary of the Southampton branch of the NUT and a former Arnewood teacher, said: “Schools know that parents will always do the best for their children.

“If these computers are over-priced and not the best buy, this is in my view a sort of moral blackmail.”

A spokesman at the NUT’s regional office said parents were being asked to make a “ridiculous” commitment.

She said the school should be funding the equipment itself and added: “There are going to be haves and have-nots. Some families won’t be able to afford it.”

New Milton councillor Alan Rice vowed to raise the issue at next week’s meeting of the school governors.

“The scheme aims to introduce children to computers at an early age and allow them to use them at home but they must be affordable to all families,” he said.

Head teacher Chris Hummerstone said it was a non-profit making scheme that would not benefit the school financially.

He stressed that the laptop initiative was not compulsory and denied that parents were being forced to buy them.

Opportunity Mr Hummerstone added: “The educational rationale is to encourage children to take the fullest opportunity to use the potential new technology to assist with their learning.

“This scheme is intended as a family resource, with access to information communication technology at any time – whether at home, school or on study visits.

“As a specialist college we are always looking for educational opportunities in a variety of media that can improve the learning environment.”

Mr Hummerstone said parents were being asked to buy the laptops because their children would be able to take them home each evening.

He added: “Although we are leading the way in this respect locally we have already given advice to other schools keen to offer a laptop scheme to their pupils.”

Children whose parents are unwilling or unable to take part in the scheme will still be able to use school laptops. “No pupils will be disadvantaged,” said Mr Hummerstone.

But other Hampshire schools, including Priestlands in neighbouring Lymington, say they have no plans to introduce a similar scheme.

Matthew Longden, who runs Applemore College of Technology, near Hythe, said: “We’ve got a huge number of computers and the vast majority of students have their own computers at home.

“Before I became head teacher there was a scheme under which parents could lease laptops for their children but only a few did.”

Susan Trigger, head of Bitterne Park School, Southampton, said: “About 50 per cent of students have their own laptops at home.

“If necessary we would increase the number of computers at school and improve access to laptops through after-school clubs.”

Ceri Oakley, deputy head teacher of Wildern School, Hedge End, said the site already had as many computers as it could handle.

She added: “Our students have access to 12 suites of laptops as well as laptops in lessons. Our view is that we’re already well catered for.”

Hampshire County Council said it was a matter for individual head teachers.