On March 8, the House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth, and Families held a hearing on the use of technology in education. The subcommittee held a hearing on the same topic last May (see The Source, 5/14/99, p. 7).
The hearings are part of a series focusing on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which is due for reauthorization. While the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee has marked up an omnibus package, the House Education and the Workforce Committee has been moving its reauthorization as several separate measures. So far, the House has approved two of these bills (H.R. 2, H.R. 1995).
Opening the March 8 hearing, Subcommittee Chair Michael Castle (R-DE) said the committee is preparing for action on the ESEA’s Title III, which pertains to technology in education. “Through Title III…we have made great strides in helping schools obtain computers and connecting them to the Internet. But we can also agree that we need to do more than simply place a computer in the classroom.”
Witnesses representing several technology companies discussed the importance of preparing America’s youth for future careers through the use of technology. In addition, Jeffrey Chin of the National Education Association expressed concern about “the ‘digital divide’ that exists along racial and ethnic lines,” saying that it “continues to impact many schools and students.” He added: “While 74 percent of classrooms in low-poverty schools are connected to the Internet, only 39 percent of classrooms in high-poverty schools have Internet access. The lack of access to technology in school and home translates into a widening gap for minorities and women in technology careers.”
