Page 6 - 1983 Clippings
P. 6
Computer Invasion
at Ngaruawahia High School
Huntly Press, October 19, 1983
Ngaruawahia High School is going teachers can take them for classes
to be invaded - by 16 computers! involving computer lessons.”
The school is buying 16 new “W e ’ll also be running computer
computers, says Chairman of the School awareness classes for fourth formers.
Committee Peter Mans. They’ll learn the way computers are used
“We hope to have them by the start of outside school. Really, just how computers
school next year,” he says. affect society.”
The school acquired its first computer There will be temptation to play Space
last year, but is trading it in to help pay for Invaders on the computers.
the new computers, which are expected to “Playing games is out. But if we’ve
cost $20,000. got a learning programme game, that’s OK
Funds have already been allocated by because the students will be learning from
the P.T.A. Committee and the school is it.”
holding a workday and other fundraising The computers will not rob teachers of
events for the computer, says Mr Mans. their jobs of their importance in the
He says the students are looking classroom, says Mr Mans.
forward to the new computers and they are “In actual fact it’ll make teaching
not in the least ‘freaked out by the idea’. harder,”
“Kids are living with them and accept “It’s a tool which will hopefully
them because they’re here. improve the things we can do with the
“But adults are afraid of pupils. Learning will be less
the computers. It’s a case of tedious and time-consuming.”
something they don’t know The school wants to
anything about.” expose the students to
Classes will be more computers.
interesting, says Mr Mans. “But that’s not to say if
“It’ll allow us to extend you’ve done some computer
into areas that we don’t work, you’ll get a job in
normally do, for example, computers.
assimilation.” “It’ll just mean the
“Our plan is to provide a students are accustomed to
basic introduction course for computers and will have at
the third formers as they know least a basic knowledge on
how to use one. This way their function,” says Mr Mans.
The above photo appeared with the ar-
ticle, but is a photo of staff member
Chris Grinter.
