Computers in Year 3 Homes in Aston

Researchers in Birmingham have just received an extension on a project to install computers in the homes of primary and secondary pupils.  The recent extension will see a computer with internet access being installed in the homes of all Year 3 children linked to three schools in Aston (the 16th poorest area in Britain) and some Year 7 pupils.

According to the researcher:

This will enable the schools to ignore the digital divide for these pupils and begin to assess there real educational value. Maybe by Year 4 they will be typing with all ten fingers…at once!

It's interesting to note that the researcher estimates that at least 10 people will use each computer:

Each family seems to consist of at least five children, two parents , two grandparents and some nephews and nieces who live either next door or across the road. For whatever reason computers didn’t seem to rate highly in their lives even though they had high aspirations for their children when it comes to education. You also had the problem of home language versus English language. When the kids get home they are faced with their home language for communication and entertainment.

With money constantly be put into ICT in school is this the way forward?  Should the money we spend on computers in school be more useful being spent on home computers?