Is tech industry a savior or danger
to education?
By John Borland and Evan
Hansen
Staff Writers, CNET News.com
November 11, 2003, 4:00AM PT
Technology companies and educational institutions are increasingly
developing partnerships that involve everything from company-sponsored
labs to multimillion-dollar equipment donations.
Rather than provoking immediate protests over academic independence
as they have in previous years, the arrangements are now accepted
openly by many teachers and administrators desperate for resources.
The partnerships are growing even in the absence of proof that computers
measurably improve learning among younger students. And the trend
is likely to continue as companies receive tax breaks, marketing exposure
and lucrative contracts stemming from these relationships.
Technology alliances are proliferating in higher education, where
companies sponsor research that advances their agendas, and concerns
over conflicts of interest give way to pragmatism.
Even as teachers get pink slips, governments and companies throw money
at classroom technology without clear evidence that computers are
superior to traditional education methods.
Regions regularly offer multimillion-dollar incentives to lure businesses,
hoping that they will bring jobs and other benefits. But does this reliance drain resources from cash-strapped schools?
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