Labour makes good on election promise to upgrade IT in schools

Posted on February 06, 2012 at 12:10 PM

Today's announcement of the rollout of high speed broadband for all second level schools follows Labour's commitment in our election manifesto to upgrade IT in schools.

Minister Pat Rabbitte and Minister Ruairi Quinn announced the national roll-out which will see all schools being connected by 2014. It follows a successful pilot project involving 78 second-level schools where the use of broadband has been shown to have improved both teaching and learning.

Welcoming the roll-out the Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn said: "We need to ensure that appropriate digital technology and high-speed internet are in place in our schools as a basic building block to deliver a 21st century learning experience to all learners."

Minister of Communication, Energy and Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte said: "The opportunity this morning to see how class room learning can be revolutionised by the availability and adoption of high speed broadband, strengthens my conviction that we are delivering a strategic and worthwhile project that will deliver significant long-term results from both an economic and social perspective.

"Despite our current economic difficulties, this significant investment in our current and future generation of school children is money well spent."

The capital funding for the roll-out of broadband for secondary schools will be met by the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, estimated to be approximately €11m as well as contributing some €10m in current costs for the years 2013 to 2015. The Department of Education and Skills will fund the remaining current costs, estimated to be €20m up to 2015. DES will also fund the ongoing costs on an annual basis into the future.

Photographs from the launch held in Colaiste Bride, Clondalkin are available on Flickr.

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