Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 295: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if an information and communications technology adviser has been appointed to the Mayo Education Centre; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that 230 schools as a consequence are without the benefit of professional advice in this regard; the number and centres to which they are appointed; the budget allocated for 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2576/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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A Value for Money Review of the ICT Support Service, addressing the work of the National Centre for Technology in Education (NCTE), the ICT Advisory Service and specific posts assigned to the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, was undertaken by my Department. While concluding that the ICT Support Service was generally effective and efficient, the Report recognised that each school must plan and execute its own policy for ICT integration across the curriculum. It concluded that, ten years on, the resources utilised by the ICT Advisory Service operating from the regional Education Centres would be better employed focussing supports for ICT leadership and change within each school.

There were three vacancies among the 21 ICT Advisor posts attached to the regional full-time Education Centres in June 2008 and a further post was due to be vacated following the retirement of an ICT advisor. Of the remaining 17 posts, 14 were filled by teachers on secondment from their teaching duties and three were filled on a non-secondment contract basis. These posts had been renewed annually. Against this background, the Education Centres were advised by the NCTE that my Department was not prepared to renew secondment arrangements for the 14 teachers seconded as ICT Advisors. The implementation of these arrangements was discussed with the Education Centres and schools concerned and any difficulties arising in specific schools due to the return of the teachers concerned were addressed by my Department. The position in relation to the three non-seconded ICT advisor posts is that my Department authorised the NCTE to fund the relevant Education Centres to offer temporary short-term contracts for the persons concerned for the remainder of the calendar year. While I understand that the three persons concerned did not wish to avail of this offer, my Department is engaged in ongoing discussions with the relevant Unions.

The NCTE continues to provide advice and support to schools on the integration of ICT into teaching and learning and to provide a range of ICT continuing professional development courses for teachers. The NCTE is working closely with the support services supported by my Department. The role of the school's ICT coordinating teacher, with the support of the school principal, is being prioritised as central in the provision of ongoing ICT support and advice to teachers. Local school-based and peer to peer support has been identified internationally as the most effective way to further ICT integration in schools. This emphasis on "in school" promotion of, and support for, ICT integration in teaching and learning is consistent with the Reports of the Strategy Group, Investing Effectively in Information and Communication Technology in Schools 2008-2013, and the evaluation report undertaken by my Department's Inspectorate, ICT in Schools, which I published last July.

In this context, the NCTE is finalising a handbook, Planning and Implementing e-Learning in your School, for principals and ICT co-ordinating teachers, A professional development course for ICT coordinating teachers on the development of e-Learning Plans is also available. It is intended to provide nationwide seminars on e-Learning and the first tranche of these seminars, targeting ICT coordinating teachers in post-primary schools were held late last year. The NCTE has set up a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), accessible by all ICT coordinating teachers who have attended the seminars. This VLE will be used as a method of organising CPD and support groups at local level. It is also an efficient channel of communication for the NCTE with this group of teachers, who are already actively exchanging resources and ideas in this online community.