I would tend to agree....there shouldn’t be any laptops or computers introduced into the school atmosphere until maybe the last year or two. There are a thousand skills that you ought to develop, without the aid of modern technology.
I just know this. If children today have the public education I grew up in (70s and 80s), then they are not going to prepared for the future. Think of the technology today compared to the technology in the 1970s and 80s. Schools have to stay relevant with the technology today.
Now factor in Moore's law where technology is expanding at an exponential rate. If you read Ray Kurzweil books (Google’s Director of Engineering), then you will see he correctly predicted everything in technology from 1999 to 2009. If he is correct about the next 15 years, then our children will be really far behind in school.
15 years is not that long ago. I am sure you recall what you were doing 15 years ago. Plus I know the technology that is coming in the next 5 years will so radically change today's tech. That 10 years from now.... We will view technology today in the same manor we view technology today compared to the technology in the 1970s and 80s. That's how fast it's going to change.
I know that may seem hard to believe, but think about it this way. Compare Cell phones today to what they were 10 years ago or even 20 years ago. Way different right? What about the Internet? It's way more powerful today, than it was 10 years or even 20 years ago. Look how it's transforming everything.
So what are children to prepare for in the future? I would say Quantum computing, the Darknet, Nano tech, Robotics, Cloud Computing and network Security. This technology will be running everything from our Refrigerators, dishwashers, cars, stoves, etc...
I know this. You are about to a massive increase in our Internet speed. It's going to go from anywhere between 3mbs up to 50mbs right now to 1000mbs or better know as a Gigabit of speed. To give you an idea of how fast 1 Gigabit of speed is say you download a High Definition movie that is on average over 5.5 Gigabytes. That will down load in a little over 3 seconds. That technology will be in place in most places in 5 years and pretty much every where in 10 years. It's already in motion.
This type of speed will open application to do things that we have not even imagined. So to get back to your point. While I do agree to it, but perhaps a disciplined technology approach would be the best way to prepare children. I agree they have to be able to understand the basics without the technology.
There are a thousand skills that you ought to develop...
Like reading and writing.