Talkin’ ’bout a Revolution

Tony Abbott to pull the plug on computers for students in Bennelong | Maxine McKew MP

If it wasn’t for the ideological and bloodless revolutions of the political type, few of us would be able to still donate blood to the Red Cross. Politicians love a revolution; a revolution on behalf of the kiddies is even better – for who would dare oppose a smiling youngster?

And so it is with the Digital Education Revolution of the Labor Party – a laptop for every child and to every child a laptop. And these have now become ‘essentials’ to learning. News to those of use – like our esteemed politicians – who, with a tut and a cluck of the tongue, lament their introduction and how they might well have a detrimental impact to our brains and technology might have a ‘persistent negative impact’ on student’s results. But, again, such points of consideration are not the problems for the current government; the electorate are impressed with the talk of children, education and apparent free goods and the politicians, with no moral qualms as to the actual betterment of society, bring themselves closer to re-election; win-win it would seem.

What the politicians – surrounded as they are by smiling kiddies with new laptops – never seem to want to do is talk about the results; the efficacy of their program; the ‘C’ student who is now a ‘B’ student and improving. Viva La Revolution? Maybe – but where is it and what has it done? Rightly, they can point to ‘long term’ results – these are, of course, the best sort: get in and get out before anyone can hold you culpable for anything. Like a modern corporate CEO, our politicians are no longer interested in end results; driven by the next quarterly result – which needs to be spun in whatever way necessary to present a believable narrative of success – the politicians talk of simplistic and token offerings as though they actually offered substance.

While politicians are happy to tax and spend to save their own careers, proof of their value in what they deliver isn’t something they like to talk about. It’s difficult. Results aren’t easy. But before we lament the loss of programs, let’s at least have some indications that having those programs is actually worth something.

~ by atropus32 on August 7, 2010.