Education Telecommunications Needs

The pathetic sad fact exists that most children attending rural public schools in Texas (unless they live in an immediately adjoining, toll free calling city, [like Roosevelt or Slaton]), have never even seen a demonstration of telecommunication technology. Simple electronic mail at 10 to 15 minutes per day (just barely considered higher education) would cost the whopping toll charge price of $100 per child each month. This would be approximately one half million dollars per year for a small school like Morton, Lockney or Crosbyton (population of 1500-2500). It makes sense then that little attention is made (or afforded) one of the single most important technological developments of the modern age -- telecommunications.

To offer a truly integrated curriculum where students would participate at state, national or international levels, in history, math, science, civics, etc., that are available in Lubbock, Amarillo, Abilene, etc. (free of toll charges on consumer networks), would cost $300 to $400 per child each month. The lost educational opportunity in this extreme situation is in excess of the previous long distance cost illustration.

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