Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Information, Education and Inequality: Is New Technology the Solution?

  • Chapter
Access Denied in the Information Age

  • 58 Accesses

Abstract

The current UK government, like others around the world, has heavily promoted new information and communications technology (ICT) as the key to economic prosperity and individual betterment. It has funded a number of initiatives: promoting the use of new technologies for business transactions (e-commerce); ‘leasing’ recycled computers at low rates to poor families; and public ICT centres (e-libraries) where people can use (or learn to use) the technology. In October 1999 the Prime Minister himself, apparently embarrassed at his own lack of expertise, enrolled on a computer skills course in a north-eastern shopping centre. Perhaps the highest profile campaign among these government initiatives is the intention to connect all UK schools and public libraries to the internet by the year 2002.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Apple, Michael W. (1998) ‘Selling our children: Channel One and the politics of education’, in Robert W. McChesney, Ellen Meiksins Wood and John Bellamy Foster (eds), Capitalism and the Information Age: the Political Economy of the Global Communication Revolution. New York: Monthly Review Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Attewell, Paul and Battle, Juan (1999) ‘Home computers and school performance’, The Information Society 15 (1) 1–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Audit Commission (1997) Due for Renewal: a Report on the Library Service. London: Audit Commission.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnard, Nicolas (1999) ‘Big push for next zone bids’, TES, 15 January.

    Google Scholar 

  • Batt, Chris (1998) Information Technology in Public Libraries, sixth edition. London: Library Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benn, Caroline and Chitty, Clyde (1997) Thirty Years On: Is Comprehensive Education Alive and Well or Struggling to Survive? London: Penguin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blair, Tony (1999) ‘Why the internet years are vital’, Guardian, 25 October.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bohme, Steve and Spiller, David (1999) Perspectives of Public Library Use 2. Loughborough: Library and Information Statistics Unit.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, G. (1996) In the real world’, Guardian, 2 August.

    Google Scholar 

  • Callinicos, Alex (1989) Against Postmodernism: a Marxist Critique. Cambridge: Polity Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • CoI (1998) Our Information Age: the Government’s Vision. London: The Stationery Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • Creaser, Claire and Murphy, Alison (1999) LISU Annual Library Statistics 1999. Loughborough: Library and Information Statistics Unit.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cuban, Larry (1986) Teachers and Machines: the Classroom Use of Technology Since 1920. New York: Teachers College Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) (1999) News Release 161/99, 18 June.

    Google Scholar 

  • DfEE (1997) Connecting the Learning Society. London: DfEE.

    Google Scholar 

  • DfEE (1998) ‘Survey of information and communications technology in schools 1998’, Statistical Bulletin, 11/98. London: The Stationery Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • DfEE (1999a) ‘Survey of information and communications technology in schools 1999’, Statistical Bulletin, 13/99. London: The Stationery Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • DfEE (1999b) ‘Education and training expenditure since 1989–90’, Statistical Bulletin, 10/99. London: The Stationery Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • EDSI (1997a) Education Departments Superhighways Initiative: Group A Final Report Curriculum Projects in England and Wales. London: DfEE.

    Google Scholar 

  • EDSI (1997b) Preparing for the Information Age: Synoptic Report of the Education Departments Superhighways Initiative. London: DfEE.

    Google Scholar 

  • futura.com (2000) Unpublished data from futura.com survey at University of Leeds (see chapter by Morrison and Svennevig in this volume).

    Google Scholar 

  • Gates, Bill (1995) The Road Ahead. London: Penguin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Independent (1999) ‘Renovate crumbling school buildings’, 10 November.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnston, Chris (1999) ‘Great leap forward: the private finance initiative’, Times Education Supplement, 15 October.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, Adam (1999) ‘Sums may not add up for school firm’, The Times, 9 August.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kerr, S. (1996) ‘Visions of sugarplums: the future of technology, education, and the schools’, in S. Kerr (ed.), Technology and the Future of Schooling. Chicago: National Society for the Study of Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Labour Party (1995) Communicating Britain’s Future. London: The Labour Party.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lax, Stephen (2000) The internet and democracy’, in D. Gauntlett (ed.), Web.Studies: Rewiring Media Studies For the Digital Age. London: Arnold.

    Google Scholar 

  • LIC (1998) Building the New Library Network. London: Library and Information Commission.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mackay, Hughie, Young, Michael and Beynon, John (eds) (1991) Understanding Technology in Education. London: Falmer Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Malina, Anna and Jankowski, Nicholas W. (1998) ‘Community-building in cyberspace’, Javnost–the Public, 5 (2) 35–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marx, Leo (1994) The idea of “technology” and postmodern pessimism’, in Merritt Roe Smith and Leo Marx (eds), Does Technology Drive History? The Dilemma of Technological Determinism. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oftel (1997) Information Highways: Improving Access For Schools, Colleges and Public Access Points. ‘Recommendations of OFTEL’s task force to the telecom-munications industry.’ London: Oftel.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oppenheimer, T. (1997) ‘The computer delusion’, Atlantic Monthly, July, 45–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parker, Edwin B. and Dunn, Donald A. (1972) ‘Information technology: its social implications’, Science, 176 1392–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Research Machines (1998) The RM Report on the Internet in Secondary School Education. Abingdon: Research Machines.

    Google Scholar 

  • Research Machines (1999a) The National Grid for Learning, One Year On. Abingdon: Research Machines.

    Google Scholar 

  • Research Machines (1999b) The RM Report 1999: Computers in Literacy and Numeracy in Primary Schools. Abingdon: Research Machines.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robins, Kevin and Webster, Frank (1989) The Technical Fix: Education, Computers and Industry. Basingstoke: Macmillan.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Robins, Kevin and Webster, Frank (1999) Times of the Technoculture: From the Information Society to the Virtual Life. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schiller, Herbert I. (1996) Information Inequality: the Deepening Social Crisis in America. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Selwyn, N. (1999) ‘Schooling the information society? The place of the information superhighway in education’, Information Communication and Society, 2 (2) 156–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Selwyn, N. (1997) The effect of using a computer at home on students’ school use of IT’, Research in Education, 58, 79–81.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stevenson Committee (1997) Information and Communications Technology in UK Schools: an Independent Inquiry. London: Independent ICT in Schools Commission.

    Google Scholar 

  • Webster, Frank (1995) Theories of the Information Society. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • White, Michael (1999) ‘Chancellor unveils plan for computers for the poor’, Guardian, 28 October.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Stephen Lax
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Leeds, UK

    Stephen Lax (Lecturer in Communications Technology) (Lecturer in Communications Technology)

Copyright information

© 2001 Stephen Lax

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Lax, S. (2001). Information, Education and Inequality: Is New Technology the Solution?. In: Lax, S. (eds) Access Denied in the Information Age. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780333985465_7

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation