Every Australian student in Years 9-12 will have access to a computer when they return to their school desks on the first day of term next year thanks to the Gillard Government’s $2.4 billion Digital Education Revolution.

School Education Minister Peter Garrett said education authorities across the country have already installed more than 713,000 computers, with the final tranche of computers to be installed over the summer holidays in time for the first day of the new school year.

All computers have been purchased and allocated by school authorities, taking the total to be delivered under the program to more than 786,000 computers since the first computers were installed in 2008.

“In 2007 Labor promised Australian students that we would bring our schools into the digital age by providing enough computers for every senior high school student in the country, and we have delivered on that promise,” Mr Garrett said.

“Our school computers rollout has delivered real benefits to students and schools who would have otherwise missed out on the education opportunities that new technology brings.

“Thanks to the Gillard Government, every senior high school student is now able to develop the skills they will need to go on to higher education or enter the workforce when they finish school.”

Mr Garrett said the school computer program was of extra benefit to students and teachers in rural and remote locations, who can now access online education resources.

“For example, students in remote locations can study a second language by communicating online and in real-time with native language speakers in other countries. History students can access a wealth of digital archives from museums in Australia and across the world, and students in the outback can interact and learn with their peers in the inner-city,” he said.

“The Government is also investing in providing the extra digital resources teachers and students need to make the most of the technology, including a $41 million digital package to support the implementation of the Australian curriculum.

“And this week we announced a joint project with the ABC and Education Services Australia to develop a new NBN education portal.”

Mr Garrett said the Government’s commitment to providing schools with the technology they need to deliver a quality education was in contrast to the Opposition’s plans to slash school funding.

“The Coalition is on record as saying they will cut $2.8 billion from schools, including more than $640,000 from the Digital Education Revolution,” he said.

“They obviously believe that only those kids whose parents can afford to buy them a computer should have access to new technology. Labor believes in giving every kid in every school the best possible education, regardless of where they live or how much their parents earn.”

Under the National Secondary School Computer Fund, state and territory governments and non-government school systems are responsible for purchasing and delivering the computers in their schools.