Labour to fund tech in schools

Labour has unveiled its education policy for this month's election, promising to spend $75 million on providing new technology to students at low-decile schools.

The programme will be partly funded by the discontinuation of programmes like private school scholarships for low-decile students, which will save $14.1 million a year, according to Labour's education spokeswoman, Sue Moroney.

"Labour would rather resource the low-decile schools well than send just a few students off to private schools," Moroney says.

The programme will eventually be rolled out to all senior students.

"Mobile devices are now part of the stationary requirements at some high-decile schools," Moroney says, referring to the Orewa College controversy which erupted in July.

"Technology has the potential to transform our education system and we believe e-learning can foster a sense of learning in those most likely to disengage from the system.