Critics would leave it to cash-starved local communities and school systems to choose whether or not to pay the tolls for education on the information superhighway. In their model, communities can decide either to increase teachers’ salaries, buy new textbooks, or cruise the infobahn. This country should not accept such an either/or proposition. Such a course would hobble American education, especially in rural communities and inner cities. We strongly support moving rapidly away from central regulation and toward a competitive market where customer choice drives the system. However, we also strongly believe that schools, teachers, and students will be left in the competitive dust unless we explicitly define and declare their needs.
Predictor: Kerrey, Bob
Prediction, in context:In a 1994 essay for Wired magazine, Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Nebraska, and filmmaker George Lucas (“Star Wars”) discuss the importance of connecting schools and libraries in the new National Information Infrastructure. They write:”How to engineer the information superhighway so it benefits all in our society has become a burning issue. Critics would leave it to cash-starved local communities and school systems to choose whether or not to pay the tolls for education on the information superhighway. In their model, communities can decide either to increase teachers’ salaries, buy new textbooks, or cruise the infobahn. This country should not accept such an either/or proposition. Such a course would hobble American education, especially in rural communities and inner cities. We strongly support moving rapidly away from central regulation and toward a competitive market where customer choice drives the system. However, we also strongly believe that schools, teachers, and students will be left in the competitive dust unless we explicitly define and declare their needs.”
Biography:Bob Kerrey was a U.S. senator who made technology issues part of his political agenda in the 1990s. (Legislator/Politician/Lawyer.)
Date of prediction: January 1, 1994
Topic of prediction: Getting, Sharing Information
Subtopic: E-learning
Name of publication: Wired
Title, headline, chapter name: Access to Education
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/2.09/access.ed_pr.html
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Anderson, Janna Quitney