Welsh Conservatives today welcomed the decision by the Welsh Labour Government to ditch its free laptops scheme after new details emerged of the cost of the policy.
Written answers to Shadow Education Minister Angela Burns revealed that Ministers have spent £662,364 on free laptops since the scheme’s launch in March 2010, but have only purchased 943 laptops. This equates to an average cost of over £700 per laptop.
The Education Minister confirmed to Mrs Burns that the scheme will be scrapped even though evaluations of the project are still on-going.
The scheme was introduced after it formed a key plank of Plaid Cymru’s 2007 manifesto, which pledged a free laptop for every child.
Angela Burns, AM for Carmarthen West & South Pembrokeshire, said, “The Minister’s decision to ditch his free laptops policy is welcome but overdue.
“It was clear when the scheme was introduced that it did not represent value for money from the education budget and could have been better spent improving facilities in schools.
“At a time when the school funding gap is widening, teacher numbers are falling and educational standards are in decline, Ministers should prioritising vital funds at the frontline rather than frittering money away on free laptops.
“I am surprised that so few laptops were actually purchased despite Ministers spending over £660,000 on the scheme.
“Scrapping the scheme before it’s even been evaluated suggests Labour Ministers now agree that this was an ill-advised and wasteful scheme made to appease their nationalist coalition partners.
“I want to hear assurances from Welsh Labour Ministers that in future limited resources will be targeted at improving standards in our schools.”
