THE HAGUE, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Seven iPad-centric "Steve Jobs schools" opened their doors across the Netherlands earlier this week, local media reported on Thursday.
The elementary schools, where iPads play an important role in education and where each student gets his or her own iPad, will educate students as per the principles of the O4NT, the Dutch acronym for "education for a new era."
The foundation plans to open five more such schools before the end of this year and expects a large number of schools functioning according their teaching methods by next year.
Working with a one iPad-per student approach, O4NT gives every child access to a virtual school and aims to help them develop information and communication technology (ICT) and information processing skills, collaboration techniques and a critical, problem-solving and creative mind.
"A total of 1,000 children attend the seven schools," Maurice de Hond, the man behind the schools, told Xinhua.
Critics point out children should not be encouraged to dive into the digital world all day long. However, De Hond said O4NT principles prepare students for the future better than regular schools.
"The world is digitalizing in a faster pace than ever before, but still everything within the school environment is analogue instead of digital. The system is outdated," he said.
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