One private Australian school now requiring iPads

St. Andrew's Cathedral School in Sydney, Australia is taking the radical step of requiring iPads for all students in years 7 to 10, says a report in the Syndey Morning Herald. It's one of two private schools profiled in the report that require students to have tablets. The other school, St. Catherine's in Waverly, has opted to go with Samsung tablets for its pilot program.

Though a new iPad will cost parents about $500, the school says this expense will be offset by the elimination of pricey hardcover textbooks. The school plans to phase out textbooks and replace them with e-books over the next few years. Eventually, almost everything a student needs will be stored on his or her iPad.

School officials are enthusiastic about the program and expect very few complaints from parents.