Public Education in Computer Usage: An Ethico-Political Rationale

Ardagh, D.

Routine provision of computer education and training by public educational institutions for all students at public expense is not the norm in many first world nations. 'User pays' and other educational policy norms suggested by economic rationalist assumptions prevail. The paper tries to identify and criticise these from a Neo-Aristotelian point of view, arguing that if politics and policy is suspended from an ethics of equal empowerment to virtue, states in justice have duties to educate and train in vital skills needed by citizens to attain wellbeing. Less affluent citizens have a right to be assisted to exercise their right to knowledge and less affluent nations likewise have strong claims on affluent first world nations.

Cite as: Ardagh, D. (2001). Public Education in Computer Usage: An Ethico-Political Rationale. In Proc. Selected papers from the 2nd Australian Institute of Computer Ethics Conference (AICE2000), Canberra. CRPIT, 1. Weckert, J., Ed. ACS. 81-87.

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