Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Government and the Minister for Education promised that primary and post-primary schools would have ongoing funding for ICT budgets until 2027, when there would then be a review. This budget, which is calculated on the type of school and the roll numbers, was to come from a €200 million package announced by the Government and to be provided to the schools in the period 2022 to 2027 as part of the national development plan, NDP. Without consultation, the ICT budget for schools seems to have disappeared and has not been allocated to schools for the 2022-23 school year.

The reply to a recent parliamentary question I submitted on this issue stated that it is hoped to issue the next tranche of funding in the 2023-24 school year no later than January 2024. The reply also stated that, as with all funding, the issuing of the grant was subject to the availability of Exchequer funding and the wider capital needs of the Department. There was no mention in the reply of what happened to the funding for 2022-23. There is also no definite commitment for subsequent years, as promised, up to 2027. It is dependent on Exchequer funding.

Several schools who had thought this budget would be ongoing have signed up to outsourced and ongoing technology support packages, which they must now find funding for from alternative avenues. The schools presumed this funding would be available each year for the five school years because this was what the initial announcement indicated. Schools planned their expenditure based on this assumption. As technology changes so frequently, many schools decided to lease the necessary equipment and entered into contracts for the duration of these leases for ongoing support and upgrades.

Since 2018, schools have been required to develop or update their digital strategies in line with the digital learning framework for schools and within the framework, it is stated that there is a whole-school approach and commitment to the effective or highly effective use of digital technologies in teaching and learning. The opening paragraph from the Minister for Education in respect of the digital strategy stated that it envisaged a future where every learner would have ample opportunity to benefit from technology in his or her learning and would develop key skills for the digital world. In 2023, the Department launched a new primary curriculum framework and within it, schools are expected to implement being a digital learner as one of a number of key competencies. The science, technology, engineering and mathematics, STEM, curriculum area also includes digital technology. I cannot see how any of the above will be possible without the promised ICT budget.

The circular on the digital strategy, Circular 0027/2022, refers to one of the features of the ICT grant scheme having been to have a five-year approach, based on €200 million being committed under the NDP over the period of the strategy. This approach was intended to facilitate multi-annual planning by schools. It also stated that the digital learning plan should be reviewed and updated at least annually and used to guide the expenditure of this grant funding to embed digital technologies in a phased and coherent approach to improve learning outcomes.

This issue has been raised by a number of other Deputies, including the Sinn Fein spokesperson on education, Deputy Clarke. In her response to one of those Deputies, the Minister indicated that the provision of digital technologies in schools, including leasing arrangements, was a matter for the boards of management. That was a disingenuous response. The boards of management of schools, and indeed the principals and staff, presumed that the funding promised under this digital strategy would be forthcoming for the next five years and that it would be allocated in each of those years. Will the Minister of State address the issue of funding for the year just completed, 2022-23? Will this money be made available retrospectively to cover the costs that schools have accrued already in the expectation that this grant would be paid?

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Under the Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020, overall investment of €210 million issued to all recognised primary and post-primary schools in annual grant funding. This funding has supported schools to invest in appropriate digital infrastructure and to embed the use of digital technology in teaching, learning and assessment.

The new digital strategy for schools to 2027 was published last year and is underpinned by an investment of €200 million to support schools over the period committed to under the NDP. The first tranche of €50 million in grant funding issued to all recognised primary and post-primary schools in late 2021. In addition, as part of Ireland's national recovery and resilience plan, NRRP, under the Next Generation EU funding facility, the Department issued a grant of €50 million in December 2021 to recognised primary and post-primary schools in the free education scheme to support those learners at risk of educational disadvantage through the digital divide. This amounted to €100 million in total.

The digital strategy for schools was developed following an extensive consultation process with all relevant stakeholders and is focused on three pillars. It aims to ensure that the school system is prepared for and continues to progress the embedding of digital technologies in teaching, learning and assessment. It intends to embed further progress of the potential of digital technologies to transform the learning experiences of students. It also aims to help students to develop key digital skills to facilitate their participation in society and the economy as a transition to further and higher education and the world of work.

The timing of the issuing of the grant is subject to the wider capital needs of the school system. It is anticipated that the next tranche of funding will be in the 2023-24 school year. As underpinned by the digital strategy for schools to 2027, the Department remains fully committed to ICT in schools and has, to date, invested over €300 million directly into schools for ICT over the past six years. It is anticipated that the funding committed to under the NDP will be available to support the implementation of the digital strategy in schools in future years. As with funding under the previous strategy, the funding under the digital strategy for schools to 2027 is issued directly to schools as they are best placed to identify the requirements of their own student cohorts and to meet those requirements in the most appropriate way in accordance with their digital learning plans.

Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State, but what he told me does not answer the question about the 2022-23 school year and the fact that some schools have committed funding that they expected to get from this grant. The financial support services unit, FSSU, produced a grant schedule for the 2022-23 academic year and the ICT grant was listed as part of this. Schools expected this money to perhaps come through in December 2022, as it had in December 2021. The next thing that happened was that it was moved on the schedule and then it disappeared off the schedule completely. Schools have been left scratching their heads as to what has happened here.

Part of the digital strategy states that schools will need ongoing funding on a multi-annual basis and certainty as to the frequency of payments and the amounts involved to provide for infrastructure replacement and upgrade, investment in emerging technologies as appropriate and maintenance support. The digital strategy states that this funding should be multi-annual and that schools need certainty in this regard, including on the frequency and amount of the payment. This has not been given to them.

As I said, even in the response to my parliamentary question, it was stated that it was just hoped that the next tranche will be paid this year. That statement is not strong enough for the schools. They have been left wondering and scratching their heads as to how they are going to come up with the funding to cover the investment they have already made in ICT. As I said, some of them have engaged in contracts to lease the equipment, keep themselves updated with new emerging technologies and get upgrades and support. The fact that it is anticipated the funding committed to under the NDP will be available, or that it is hoped it will be, is not strong enough. Schools need reassurance that this money will be paid to them annually to cover the costs of technology. They are already down one year in this regard.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As previously stated, I expect that the next tranche of funding under the digital strategy will issue in the coming school year, by January 2024. The ongoing commitment to embedding the use of digital technologies in teaching and learning is demonstrated through the continued investment in teacher professional learning, relevant resources and the schools' broadband programme, with policy articulated in the digital strategy for schools to 2027.

Our overall schools building programme is demand-driven and determined by our legal obligations to ensure provision for education. The Department continues to engage with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform as part of the overall review of the NDP that will be undertaken later in 2023 for the period to 2028, with a view to ensuring a smooth as possible roll-out of NDP priorities, including digital strategy commitments in future.

ICT grant funding for schools is part of the capital budget of the Department and Government and, as such, is subject to the availability of Exchequer funding, as well as the wider capital needs of the school system. As highlighted, €50 million in grant funding issued to recognised primary and post-primary schools in late 2021 and an additional €50 million issued in December 2021 to recognised primary and post-primary schools in the free education system to support those learners at risk of educational disadvantage through the digital divide. This was substantial funding.