The students do a great job and most problems are resolved on the same day they are reported. This is a most valuable service in schools with networked computers in every classroom and office. Students also provide help to teachers and office personnel in using various applications. The program has been around for 10 years. Some students are faced with making a difficult choice between going to college or taking a high tech job.
Students learn and use new technology long before their teachers and other adults.
Students also begin to develop a learning style that requires them to take greater responsibility for their learning. Our group is in the process of developing a whole of system IT training program for students in both the primary and secondary sectors. The plan is to use the program not only to enhance the development and broader education of the students, but also to integrate the program into the system's IT maintenance scheme. While we are aware of the approaches being taken in a number of path-finding school programs in Australia we would be interested in learning of systems that have woven this kind of approach into their ICT strategy.