Students lose right to free laptop as Federal Government scraps Digital Education Revolution Picture: Thinkstock. HIGH school students will lose the right to a free laptop next year - and may be asked to bring their own. Parents could also be slugged more to use school laptops as the Federal Government scraps its Digital Education Revolution (DER). Queensland Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek yesterday accused the Federal Government of plunging students into the "digital dark age" by ceasing funding for the $264 million scheme. "What we can't guarantee is that we will be able to maintain a 1:1 ratio of computers to students, which originally was the promise," he told The Courier-Mail. We are looking at options like bring-your-own device. A BYO laptop scheme - which could be introduced statewide next year - is being trialled at Benowa and Noosa District state high schools, Jindalee State School, Calamvale Community and Murrumba Secondary colleges. Queensland Secondary Principals' Association president Norm Fuller said parents might also be asked to pay extra money to support the technology, or principals could transfer funds from other areas of school spending. "It may mean that P&Cs look at having to fundraise," he said. P&Cs Queensland chief executive Peter Levett said once digital technology became a core part of education, it should be a Government responsibility. Mr Langbroek said parents who couldn't afford to buy a laptop would never be required to pay for one. He warned funding could be cut to "core school activities" to meet the shortfall. Federal funding has already provided 141,000 laptops in Queensland, which now need to be maintained. Mr Langbroek said his Government already spent $30 million a year on the IT costs. Independent Schools Queensland executive director David Robertson said many of its schools' DER computers were due for replacement and this would take "a significant resource commitment." Each school would decide how to supply digital devices. Queensland Catholic Education Commission executive director Mike Byrne said he was disappointed the DER program had been halted. Federal School Education Minister Peter Garrett said money provided under the National Plan for School Improvement would help fund new technology equipment, and called on Queensland to sign up to the Gonski model. "The extra funding . . . will be a permanent feature of the new funding system so schools would no longer need to rely on grants or short-term programs," he said.