USTIN, Texas - Governor George W. Bush is promoting a $400 million plan to prod schools into using the Internet as a learning tool, rather than a substitute for real education.
The Republican presidential candidate's proposal was another volley in the campaign debate over how much say the federal government should have in education.
Vice President Al Gore, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has pushed for schools in low-income communities to have access to computers and the Internet to help them compete with more affluent children.
While Bush agrees that Internet access can help close the ''achievement gap'' between the groups, he said that merely providing funding and Internet access runs the risk of allowing teachers to use cyberspace as an educational substitute.
Bush's proposals include tying $400 million in funding for education technology to student performance over five years. In exchange, schools would have more flexibility in how to use the money.
The plan would:
Provide $65 million annually to the Department of Education's Office of Education Research and Improvement for research institutions to conduct research on methods of education technology.
Earmark $15 million a year to establish the Education and Technology Clearinghouse to make available to schools and states information on effective education technology programs and the latest research studies.
Ensure that federal funds are distributed on the basis of need, giving priority to rural schools and those with high percentages of low-income students.
