IPods in school

I was reading a story that the Detroit Free Press had reported about Michigan lawmakers making a 36 million dollar proposal to put Ipods in public schools. The lawmakers made the proposal after they had visited Apple and it is believed that Apple may have payed for some of the trip. I feel that putting IPods in schools will hurt not help the students. We all know that younger children will not take very good care of them so there will be replacement cost and tech support. I live in Maine and the state funds laptops for students. I believe that is a better use of funds when the students are not doing school work some are play Internet math games others are writing stories. I think the skills students will get from using a laptop far out way any skills that they would get from a IPod. How many people go to work and they have to use a IPod to get there day to day work done ?