Computer Quandary

An international study has found that computers are plentiful in America’s classrooms, but the technology often is outdated and teachers lack adequate training.

Nearly every school in the U.S. has computers, but the study found that computers in schools in Japan, Austria and the Netherlands were more up-to-date. Meanwhile, fewer than half the U.S. schools have computer training available for teachers; in the other countries, 75% to 95% of the schools said it’s available.

“U.S. schools started introducing computers years before most other countries, but now many of those computers are old, and the schools are having trouble keeping up with current technology,” said Ronald Anderson, the report’s author.

The study, “Computers in American Schools,” was conducted by the International Assn. for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, a cooperative of research centers in more than 40 countries.