Since the start of the academic year last September the Manx government has invested almost three quarters of a million pounds in new laptop computers for the island’s teachers.
Education Minister Tim Crookall told the House of Keys 946 new laptops had been bought at a cost of £742,000 to replace the old ones which are now four years old.
‘Laptops are an essential item for teachers and are used both to prepare and to deliver teaching materials, to update records and reports as well as for such things as completing the registrations of pupils,’ he said.
The teachers’ old laptops are to be used to update the oldest of the pupils’ computers and also boost the number available for pupils to use during general lessons.
Extra laptops will also be provided for pupils with special needs, providing them, for example, with dictation software.
Once completed, the process will mean the department has 165 old laptops – more than six years old – which would have needed maintenance to replace hard drives or batteries, he said.
These computers are to be sold to offset the money spent.
Mr Crookall told the Keys he did not know the value of the old computers but they were to be offered by tender as a job lot. However, he said enquiries would be made about possible use by charities.