I am shocked as well. Why should I pay tax for this?

It just takes a bit longer when you're older

I think Zwolle city council has been ripped off! Great for pensioners to learn all this but I'm sure it could have been done more cheaply.

My 20-year-old son said he would teach people for a quarter of that cost (750 euros per person)and not supply the iPads.

This story is supiciously lacking in detail. I'm willing to bet that there is more to this. For example, I wouldnt be suprised to learn that this is just of a programme aimed at keeping older peope mentally and physically active that costs €3000 in total. I'm always suspicious of these "shock, horror" headlines with little context or detail to support the headline.

The teacher(s) are good hustlers! yet another good example of bureaucratic largesse (and their salaries!) at taxpayer's expense. Sure it takes you a bit longer when older. It took my mother several weeks (time, mostly herself, & NOT thousands of euros; in fact €0) to learn emailing, gaming, sms, skype, word etc. But then again she is only 91.

And these seniors needed to learn to use Ipads because?! I bought an iPod several months ago thinking I was only getting something that would play iTunes. It's sitting in a shelf somewhere as it's just too complicated to use. I don't understand who the target audience is supposed to be for such "modern technology" but I long for the simplicity of plain phones. I used to be able to type a simple text message in 30 seconds. Now it takes 3 minutes on a "smart" phone because it keeps typing the wrong words. Am I just getting stupider?

Shame I didn't know they were planning the course. I would have given it for just 50,000 ;-)

Amazing waste of money. I bought my parents an iPad for Christmas and this was the first computer either of them have used. They are both 70. In a month they are ordering theatre tickets and checking insurance comparison sites. I might offer a IT Training service to Zwolle Gemeente, sounds like easy money.

I am 66, my son got me a brand new Smartphone (I paid for it), learning how to text and use social media, makes me feel 40 years younger, finding it quite easy to use.

I think in this is dumb and a waste of money. Why should the government spend this much money in teaching that few people how to Ipad? when they could learn from family or friends. No wonder the world is in trouble

Not that long! They should have included the iPad for that price. Even then, it's still way over the top. Obviously some kickbacks going on here, and guess who's paying the bill yet again?

Jeeze. They could have flown them to Texas. I could have taught the class. They could have enjoyed our beautiful weather and hospitality for a full week AND get an I-Pad for what they spent on basically nothing. Pitiful.

Of course, it could have been done much more cheaply; had the 'work' been offered to other organisations to bid for. You fail to remember that the entire country works like a giant Freemasons organisation! If the councillor responsible for arranging the grant isn't a member of the same club/church/socialcircle as the owner of the training company, I'll eat my hat.

One thing is for sure, the real needs of the elderly were of little consequence, when a business deal was in the making...

Wow! - €3,000 to learn how to use a computer!

This is along the same lines as the inbuggering course for non EU citizens, a big rip-off!

One would assume that with today's computers being a lot easier and with on-board help, that one could teach oneself, I did at 47 (Win98+XP & now 7)+ all the help & answers are on the net!

(Would make more sense to buy a fast 2nd hand desktop for around €100, : I-pads are prone to accidents, and so are pensioners :D )

Even older may take longer, I believe ipad is easy enough to use and will not take longer than a couple of hours

Steve Jobs said some friend of his left his Ipad by the river in Columbia or somewhere and a native kid came along and was happily playing games on it in no time with no prior computer experience. So these oldsters should also be able to work it out for free!

That price is indeed disgusting...

But besides that: what is the point of this? Surely they have relatives that would be happy to teach them? And how did the council ever come up with this idea in the first place? As it sounds just incredibly random.

I run a volunteer organization that could have easily found volunteers to to do all of that for free, and tried to find sponsors for the iPads. Why not try pumping all that money into non-profits? We could make it all go so much further and reach so many more people....

Who is getting the kick backs????
Smells of corruption

You can get a free guide on the internet that's tells you how to do everything on the IPad.

Some city council persons relative sure got a pay day.

"
Local political parties say they are shocked at the cost of the course"
.
That's easy to say,but what are they going to do about it.???? The usual. O.

Hi,
Zwolle pays €87,000 to teach 30 pensioners how to use an iPad. This being very important, but the most of them, as I can’t afford an iPad.

If anyone were to suggest that cronyism were involved here, I would understand. This smacks of something not very honest.

That equates to 2900 euros per person! If this was an incentive to increase employment prospects for younger people I would not object but I seriously doubt that any of these pensioners will ever return to employment. Does Zwolle City Council realize the we are in the midst of a crisis?

More I sheep ? Android is the better one to learn

I am schocked as well. Two years ago I tought my 70 year old mother to use computers, internet, social media etc.
I think I have a good track record, so happy to do the job for 10% of this. (and even then I would be overpaid)

~3000EURO p.p. without even paying for the iPad itself? Is this a joke?

That's a waste of tax-payers money. People responsible should be investigated for possible corruption and/or incompetence.

Waste and corruption are endemic in northern Netherlands. Just make yourself aware and you will see it, especially in so-called education.

I am a professional musician of 30+ years offering guitar lessons for up to 10 students/10 week course; at a bargain rate of only €40,000. I'll travel to any town in Holland to teach this course. I'll even pay for my own hotel!

Hahahaha....joke of the year..my 4 year old can use ipad...ipod...maybe he could give lessons too. What a waste! Where is the so-called "crisis" in all this?

Tip of the ice berg? No wonder people have to pay so much tax here.

My 6 year old daughter taught her 70 year old grandmother how to use the iPad for pretty much everything. It took them half a day all in all. You've got to be either crazy or crook to pay and charge such an amount from public money!

I cannot justify this cost even the aim is great! I taught all these things to my mom and yes it takes more time but couldn't they think of finding some volunteers to do these? Or maybe students for way less price!

BUT WAIT!!! Why do I smell something illegal here? Is the instructor or the company owner is some how related to someone in Zwolle's city council?

Ipads were not supplied to the pensioners.....but possibly to somebody in the ciy council.

they should mention the company charging this... they are the criminals here..

A free bus ride to the Apple store and a hot lunch would have been much cheaper, even with a free iPad!

This is a form of dutch corruption. service People opt for subsidies and then the service selling people thrive on such subsidies...be it an iPAD story or an business incubators...we pay the tax for nothing

we keep forgetting 1 important aspect. Prisoners......they are not in prison because of their smelling feet. There is no such thing as free computer classes on the economy, jet when your a criminal you get all of this handed. Sure, pamper them a bit more. It will teach them a lesson. When you misbehave you get rewarded.