Broadband for secondary schools

ALL second level schools are to get high speed
broadband, it was announced last week.

The national roll-out will be completed over three
stages with 200 schools connected by September 2012. A further 200 will be connected next year and the remaining 250 in
2014.

The programme follows on from a successful pilot
project that has been running since 2009. The pilot involved 78 second level
schools where the use of broadband had been shown to have improved both
teaching and learning.

Speaking at the launch in Coláiste Bríde, Clondalkin,
one of the schools involved in the successful pilot project, the Minister for
Communications, Energy & Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte, said secondary
schools needed industrial strength broadband.

“Students’ experience of using technology in their
everyday lives must be reflected in their learning experiences in schools,

? he
said.

“Use of ICT is no longer a separate subject. We must encourage students
and teachers to integrate the use of ICT with the traditional teaching methods
for all subjects. In this way we will prepare the digital workforce of the
future.

?

The department is funding all the capital costs of the
project, estimated to be approximately e11 million as well as contributing some
e10 million for the years 2013 to 2015.

The Department of Education & Skills (DES) will
fund the remaining current costs, estimated to be some e20 million up to 2015.