SLUA » €252m

ICT in Schools – Inspectorate Report

oide — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:24:49 +0000

“ICT in Schools reports on the evaluation of the impact of ICT on teaching and learning undertaken by the Department’s Inspectorate.” Click here for full report in PDF

ICT Strategy Group Report

oide — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:19:20 +0000

”Investing Effectively in Information and Communications Technology in Schools 2008-2013 is the Report of the Strategy Group appointed to advise on the priorities for investment in ICT in Schools having regard to the critical success factors for successful integration of ICT into learning and teaching.” Click here for the full report in PDF.

Reports on ICT in Schools Published

oide — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:14:10 +0000

Minister for Education and Science, Batt O’Keeffe, T.D., today published two reports on ICT in Schools. Investing Effectively in Information and Communications Technology in Schools 2008-2013 is the Report of the Strategy Group appointed to advise on the priorities for investment in ICT in Schools having regard to the critical success factors for successful integration of ICT into learning and teaching. ICT in Schools reports on the evaluation of the impact of ICT on teaching and learning undertaken by the Department’s Inspectorate.

Click here for the press release

Dáil Question tomorrow

oide — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 21:07:38 +0000

Expect fireworks a day early tomorrow on July 3rd as Deputy Brian Hayes T.D., Fine Gael, looks for more answers regarding the infamous €252M for ICT in education and the recent termination of contracts of all the ICT Advisors.

Product 2.0

oide — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 20:56:36 +0000

Bertie is to step down in a month’s time and his cabinet will probably go with him. Needless to say, the poisoned chalice of the economy will be dealt with in a more forthright manner by the new Taoiseach & Co. Habitual committee formers and report generators will probably get the boot for their procrastination.

It would appear that as the economic climate worsens the more the government begins to view the education sector as a loss making area of the economy as it does not produce a quick turnaround money-making product. It is nearly as bad as the attitude that persisted in the civil service during the middle of the last century – Why waste money educating people for export?

What is to stop the new DES minister from washing his/her hands of the whole matter and just continuing funding the TPN and the NCTE on a quaterly revised target driven basis. Productivity will fast become the criterion for funding and the basis for its refusal in many cases.

Let’s hope the €252m is ring-fenced otherwise it will be whittled away by sectional interests for short-term political gain. It would not surprise me if/when the report is published we learn that a considerable portion of the money has been already spent on education projects previously financed from central funds. The whole thing may all end up up as a figure juggling exercise.

3rd level will won’t wait around for very long. A secret deal will be struck for the universities during the dormant summer months and they will wind up with a big slice of the €252m pie.

Another possibility is that only vague longterm aspects of the report will be published and eventually acted upon at a time and velocity dictated by senior civil servants. The summertime or worse still exam time will witness the publishing or selective publishing of this long awaited report. The hope is that we will all be spread all over the world or just too busy to notice its release.

I am getting better at holding my breath as each day passes.