Internet at school: blessing or curse?

This year the issue of getting Russian schools connected to the Internet has migrated from the project Electronic Russia to the federal priority program titled Education. Yet the latter program does not cover the training of teachers and preparing guidelines, a task left to the regions. It appears that the program is merely a politically convenient window-dressing, as it seems easier for those in power to fake progress with the help of reports on the length of cable laid.

On the bright side, we may just as well be thankful to those who are delaying the spread of the Internet at schools. After all, in the absence of a clear educational objective, its place is quickly occupied by the objective of enrichment. This academic year, some Russian schools are already giving students a hard time by sending their grade and conduct reports to their parents' mobile phones. Meanwhile, schools in St. Petersburg will have their websites developed with the money of sponsors, who will in return receive eternal banner space on such children's resources. Meanwhile, there is still a question mark over the benefits of the Internet in education. A number of Western studies have revealed that the Web is more of a distraction for students than a learning aid.