I don't have particularly anything against iPads, but this is a complete waste of taxpayer's money.
There has been no study showing any correlation, much less causality, between technology (ie, laptops, tablets) and education. This is just money down the drain.
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I would disagree, what is the point in teaching children to use paper and pencil if they will spend most of the rest of their life using smartphones and computers? Computers should be integrated into education.
While they can get cheaper laptops, it's a different user experience. While they can get cheaper Android tablets, they don't have the same quality control.
Why give a student a single book that has outdated information with no search capabilities instead of digital text books along with the entire internet?
The cost justification for iPads is based around the cost per student of textbooks:
http://www.theverge.com/2012/3/30/2913702/digital-textbooks-fcc-us-savings
Something like the Kindle Fire at $199 might seem like a better idea vs a $399 iPad but it's half the size.
It shouldn't be any less effective for teaching so if it's cheaper overall and more modern, it's all good.