Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

I genuinely do not believe that the provision of a laptop for every student is the best use of resources or the way to promote an e-learning culture in a school. It is as important to ensure there is proper teacher training, proper technical support and good software and hardware that is relevant to the whole school.

I am not convinced of the value of the provision of an interactive whiteboard for every class. I have seen them in action in some places. A good teacher is a good teacher with a blackboard or a whiteboard and a bad teacher is a bad teacher with a whiteboard or a blackboard. All of this must be part of an overall strategy. The strategy group, which is due to report to me, has been examining not only the aid of the computer in the classroom, but other aids such as digital projectors and how they can be incorporated into the curriculum. A broader e-learning culture is important and cannot be achieved by giving each student a laptop.

I am familiar with the case of the school to which the Deputy referred because I launched that project in Tallaght. It is an exciting one but also a demanding one because, equally, the staff must be trained. I know those involved find it a positive experience and much work has been invested in the project by the council and the staff of the school to make sure it works.

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