Easy fix for school IT problem
I was shocked to read there is only one computer for every 11 pupils in French schools
YOUR January article on using satellites to improve broadband coverage is good news, but I was shocked to read there is only one computer for every 11 pupils in French schools.
In the 21st century, this is not good enough. I do not know whether the reason is financial, political or otherwise, but if it is due to cost (and computer prices are constantly falling), then there is a solution that might not have been considered.
Pupils do not need individual computers; just a monitor, keyboard and mouse connected to a distribution hub and linked to one computer.
This turns a computer into a multiuser/multi-tasking machine, with a substantial hardware cost saving. The technology has existed for some time, and is available from various suppliers and enables up to 30 (and more) users on one computer.
Perhaps there is a good reason why the education authorities have not opted for this route (it is clear from elsewhere in your newspaper that teachers have doubts about the use of computers in schools), but I cannot think of any reason that stands up to realistic scrutiny in this day and age.
Melvyn ANTHONY,
Seine-Maritime
