21% of Louisiana 4th Graders Don’t Have this at Home
When it comes to preparing our kids for school, most parents do their best. It seems like it's a lot harder get them everything they need than it used to be, if for no other reason than there's so much more they need now. Case in point - computers. For decades now, schools have maintained computers in the classroom or a computer lab for collective use at the least. With more and more computers in homes as well, some students have the opportunity to learn at home - while those without a PC, laptop, or sufficiently powerful tablet are left without the opportunity to advance on their own time.
A Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education task force is has been quietly investigating the technological capabilities of every school system in the state in an effort to identify exactly where we are lagging behind. The findings so far seem to show that there is no consistency from parish to parish. Where as some schools have dozens of high-tech gadgets and the trained staff use them, others had none. One of the biggest issues was the lack of internet access for students at home. Nationally, 82% of kids have computers at home - while Louisiana comes in well below that number at 79%. That means that a full 21% are going without one. What used to be a luxury is now coming to light as a necessary component for learning.
Although officials say that there is no current plan to bring the Bayou State up to par with the rest of the country, the Advocate reports that these findings will be addressed at the next Scheduled meeting on Jan. 9th.