I think that iPads work great in education for older kids who have their own personal one and use it to cart around text books and to take notes etc - more something for the private school than the state one. Same for University where you may want the texts, the multimedia, the touch/pen interaction, the battery life and the low weight. For me the typical state school use should revolve more around a computer lab with machines that run off of network images like an internet cafe such that the machines are ready to go at the start of each lesson and pretty much guaranteed to work. Storage can be quota'd on a network.
I've always felt the "hand out the shared iPads" mentality smacked of convenience over outright practicality. Just because the kids have them at home doesn't mean they are fit for purpose in the classroom, especially once cost and budgets are considered.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
