Shane McEntee (Meath, Fine Gael)
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Question 124: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she shares concern that students here are amongst the least positive within the OECD countries when it comes to attitudes to computers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5582/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I assume that the Deputy is referring to the OECD recent publication, "Are Students Ready for a Technology Rich World? What PISA Studies Tell Us", which is based on questionnaire responses of 15 year old students and their principal teachers that were administered in spring 2003, as part of the OECD programme for international student assessment, PISA.

In 2003, PISA ran its second three yearly survey of student knowledge and skills and assessed student performance in mathematics, reading, science and problem solving. A total of 32 of the 41 participating countries availed of the option to complete a short questionnaire on students' familiarity with information and communications technology, ICT. The publication, "Are Students Ready for a Technology Rich World?", addresses students' access to ICT, students' attitudes to and use of ICT and the relationship between students' access to and use of ICT and their performance in the PISA assessment.

The survey demonstrates a general improvement in students' access to computers both in school and at home, since the previous PISA assessment in 2000. In terms of Ireland's performance, the average for home access to computers rose from 71% to 87% in 2003 and the average for school access rose from 75% to 89% in 2003. The element of the study relating to student attitudes towards computers is based on an index of student responses to four attitudinal questions about working with computers.

The authors of the report caution that the resulting index does not signify a negative attitude per se to computers but rather informs a comparative measure between countries of how enthusiastically computers are perceived by students. The authors note that each index is based on students' reported information and not based on measured or observed information and that students across countries may vary with respect to how they perceive and respond to questionnaire items.

Encouraging positive attitudes among young people to the use of computers as learning tools is an important goal for this Government as we know that ICT has the potential to improve learning opportunities and outcomes where it is integrated successfully into the learning environment in our schools. Some schools have done this with impressive success and the enthusiasm of the children in such schools for using computers, digital media and other ICT is encouraging. Last week, I launched the Digital Schools Award in one such school.

This award will recognise the hard work that many schools have put into integrating ICT successfully into their schools and generating positive attitudes towards ICT among their pupils. It will recognise this work and encourage other schools to strive for excellence in the integration of ICTs into their learning environments also.

The Government has made a major investment in the integration of ICT into teaching and learning in recent years. Since the introduction of the ICT in schools initiative in 1998, there has been significant progress in the development of ICT infrastructure in schools, in enhancing teachers' skills and pedagogical practice and in the development of curriculum and learning resources. This year broadband is being brought to every school, building upon my Department's recent investment of over €20 million in the development of school networks. A wide variety of training courses in the use of ICT in the classroom will also be offered to teachers around the country.

Ensuring that the potential that ICT offers to improve teaching and learning in our schools is realised is a priority for this Government and I can assure the Deputy of our sustained commitment to progress in this area in the years ahead.

Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 126: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the ratio of computers to students at both primary and secondary level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5591/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The latest statistical data available to my Department is the ICT school census undertaken by the National Centre for Technology in Education, NCTE, in autumn 2002. The 2002 census found that the number of computers in schools was almost 85,000 with average pupil to computer ratios in primary schools and post-primary schools of 12:1 and 9:1 respectively.

A further census has been conducted by the NCTE in 2005 and follows similar exercises undertaken in 1998, 2000 and 2002. It 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 it in the coming weeks.