Purchasing a tablet at your own expense "I have no choice but to get angry" Why is it paid by parents at a public high school?

A tablet terminal that has already been introduced at Seimei High School. In 2022, all prefectural high schools will require new students to purchase (Kita-ku, Kyoto City)

"I only feel angry. Where is that money in the recession caused by the new coronavirus?" Was sent by parents in the prefecture to the two-way report "Responding to Readers" by Kyoto Shimbun. The maintenance of computer terminals for each person in high school is progressing nationwide, but depending on the local government, there are different measures depending on whether public funds are used or parents are responsible. We searched for the background of the burden on parents and the breakdown of expenses.

The opinion was given by a mother in her 40s who has children in the second year of public high school and the second year of public school. Regarding terminal maintenance in high school, he said, "You can learn even if you can't go to school because of Korona-ka. You can also get information from all over the world by using the terminal, and you can learn better regardless of the home environment." ..

However, when talking about the cost burden, "My husband's salary is around 300,000 yen and my part-time fee is around 50,000 yen. There is also a cram school fee for two children and I sigh. It is said that 200,000 to 300,000 yen is required for commuter tickets, etc. There is no room to buy a terminal that costs 60,000 to 70,000 yen. " She requested, "I want you to pay less than 20,000 yen, or even if you already have a product."

Unlike elementary and junior high schools, where the deployment of terminals for each person at public high schools was completed during FY2008, there is no national budgetary measure, so the response differs depending on the local government. According to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology from January to February, 12 local governments such as Wakayama Prefecture will develop the system by the end of FY2008 at public expense, and 15 local governments are considering introducing it at the expense of their parents.

The prefectural board decided to introduce it at the expense of parents, saying, "High schools often use terminals for home study, and it is better for students to own them to use them as" stationery ". Also, for three years. The accumulation can be utilized even after graduation "(High School Education Division), citing the reason that the prefecture's finances are tight to maintain at public expense.

On the other hand, regarding measures to reduce the burden, "For example, if you install alternative software on the terminal without buying an electronic dictionary, you can reduce expenses. I would like to review the total cost of school life for three years," he said to low-income households. Said that it would prepare an interest-free loan system and terminal lending.

Concerns were also expressed in the prefectural assembly regarding the maintenance of terminals. At the budget special committee in March, several prefectural councils pointed out that "I agree with the direction of introduction, but the burden on admission is severe," and "there should be no disparity at school."

In the first place, the terminal cost is explained as "about 60,000 to 70,000 yen", but what is the breakdown? The Prefectural Board of Education has been purchasing terminals at five prefectural high schools in advance since FY2009, and the guidance distributed to new students states as follows.

(1) Basic set iPad 8th generation Wi-Fi32GB 10.2 inch 34,760 yen (2) Case with keyboard 9790 yen (3) Setting cost for apps etc. 8470 yen (4) Failure compensation (annual amount) 4400 yen (5) ) Terminal management (same as above) 1980 yen (6) Touch pen 8690 yen. The total of all of these is 68,090 yen.

In the supplementary budget for FY2008, the government has recorded the procurement cost of terminals to be rented to low-income households in high school, and set the upper limit at 45,000 yen per device. In the case of the prefecture, the main unit is in the 30,000 yen range, but the keyboard required for learning and the security setting fee for use at school pushed up the cost.

You can bring your own device at home, but the hurdles are high. At the pre-implemented school, if the basic software (OS) is iOS ▽ screen size is 10 inches or more ▽ school Wi-Fi cannot be used, connect to the Internet at your own expense ▽ install the application used in the class by yourself- I admitted it.

Many local governments nationwide are promoting the development of terminals at the expense of their parents, but they are also looking for ways to prevent them from putting pressure on their household budget.

The Hiroshima Prefectural Board of Education has been promoting the purchase of handsets at all prefectural high schools since FY2009, while creating a repayment-free benefit-type scholarship for low-income households. The full-day system can receive up to 105,000 yen in three years, and the public high school budgeted for 2,700 applications this year.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government plans to purchase terminals at Tokyo Metropolitan High School from 2010, and the board of education will present multiple models, and the school is considering a method of choosing one. The person in charge says, "We also need a set of measures to reduce the burden. We are designing the system."

The Shiga Prefectural Board of Education is considering purchasing a terminal at its own expense from 2010 at the prefectural high school, and is also working on ways to reduce the burden. The Kyoto Prefectural Board of Education also said that "increasing the cost burden is a big problem" and expressed the idea of ​​continuously proposing measures to reduce the burden and gaining the understanding of parents.