Written answers

Wednesday, 15 February 2006

Department of Education and Science

Computerisation Programme

9:00 pm

Photo of Brian O'SheaBrian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 80: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her Department has completed the promised audit of information technology hardware in schools; if so, when same will be published; the action she will take to ensure that teachers are appropriately trained to give maximum benefit to the children in their classrooms from the information technology available to them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5740/06]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The National Centre for Technology in Education, NCTE, issued questionnaires for its census of school information and communications technology, ICT, infrastructure for both primary and post-primary schools early last summer. The census follows similar exercises undertaken in 1998, 2000 and 2002 and addresses a range of areas, including the extent of ICT equipment, networking and Internet access, ICT planning and priorities, professional development and technical support. School responses to the census have been gathered and compiled by the NCTE and the Education Research Centre has been engaged to summarise, tabulate and analyse the data therein. A report of the results of the census is currently being finalised and I expect to receive the report in the coming weeks. I can confirm to the Deputy that the results will be published.

On the question of teacher professional development, the NCTE has developed a range of teacher training courses in ICT related areas including: basic ICT skills, ICT pedagogical practice, technical skills such as website design, system management and troubleshooting as well as a range of ICT in special needs courses. These courses are offered locally by the ICT advisory service and made available, in the main, through the regional network of education centres. Course provision is based on local needs, as assessed by the ICT advisers, which in turn feeds into the ongoing review of course provision nationally by the NCTE. In 2005 some 10,000 course places were provided to teachers within the overall provision at a cost of some €1.8 million.

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