Mapleton State School students will get daily access to up‑to‑date laptops and interactive classroom screens after the school’s P&C secured a $24,768 grant from Queensland’s Gambling Community Benefit Fund (GCBF). The funding, announced by Nicklin MP Marty Hunt, will be used to buy a new set of laptops and interactive televisions/boards for classrooms, with equipment expected to be installed before the end of the school year.
Mapleton P&C president Elissa Bartholomew said the push for better technology started with a simple complaint from her daughter, then in Grade 5. “She complained that they never got to use the laptops as they had to share one whole set across the entire school,” Elissa said. “I was shocked at this given today’s technology and what is required from the students to complete assessments.”
At a P&C meeting last year, parents decided to pursue grants and fundraising to buy a second set of laptops so older students could use them more regularly before heading to high school. “I applied for the Gambling Grant to fund a whole new set of laptops and we all crossed our fingers … it was fantastic when the results were announced and we were successful,” Elissa said.
She said the new laptops and interactive screens would make learning “much more appealing” and keep students up to date with the latest technology.
‘Fluid’ digital learning in every classroom
Principal Brendan Baillie said the grant would let teachers use up‑to‑date devices every day, not just occasionally. “The interactive TVs function much like an oversized iPad, allowing teachers and students to fluidly move between applications, resources and collaborative learning activities to enhance classroom learning experiences,” Mr Baillie said.
He said the interactive features support the school’s teaching approach, where students are “actively engaged in driving their learning, sharing their thinking and collaborating with their peers”. “We live in a digital world and it is important that our students develop the skills and confidence to use technology effectively,” Mr Baillie said. “While technology will never replace quality teaching, these new devices will provide additional opportunities for engagement, creativity and collaboration across all year levels.”
The upgrade builds on existing technology resources and supports the school’s push to provide “contemporary learning environments that prepare students for the future”, he said.
Small rural school, big reliance on community grants
Mapleton State School is a small government primary school (Prep–Year 6) on the Blackall Range, with around 150–200 students in recent years. Like many rural schools, it depends on a mix of government funding, P&C fundraising and community grants to deliver extras beyond the basics.
The GCBF is Queensland’s largest one‑off community grants program, distributing about $60 million a year to not‑for‑profit groups for projects such as equipment, facility upgrades and community initiatives. Applications are assessed by the Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney‑General, with successful groups listed publicly; local MPs often announce results but do not individually allocate the grants.
In the same round, other Nicklin electorate groups received GCBF support, including the Australasian Country Music Association in Yandina ($35,000 for air‑conditioning), Cooroy Community Bowls Club ($35,000 for facility upgrades) and Nambour Heights Bowls Club ($7,920 for clubhouse upgrades).
What changes for students?
For Mapleton families, the practical impact is straightforward:
- Older students will no longer have to share a single set of laptops across the whole school.
- Every classroom will have access to interactive screens that work like large tablets, supporting group work and digital lessons.
- Teachers can integrate more online resources, collaborative activities and digital assessments into daily teaching.
Elissa said the goal was to ensure that when students leave for high school, using a laptop every day is “not a foreign concept”.
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