Deplorable state of ICT in Irish schools

ICT is a complex set of enabling technologies and services that underpin the development of a country as an “information” or “knowledge” economy. An ICT capability in this sense is critical in achieving national goals in areas such as science, education and innovation. As a primary teacher who has used ICT in my class on a daily basis for many years, I am extremely worried by the complete lack of vision in terms of either policy or investment in technology in our schools by the DES.

The only policy document the DES ever produced was in 1997, Schools IT 2000 - A Policy Framework for the New Millennium. That policy document was replaced by – nothing! There is no ICT policy in the DES. Some commentators speak of a lack of joined up thinking, but in reality you cannot have joined up thinking where there is no thought. What we have is a “tablula rasa”.

In 2005, the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources announced an €18m investment — mostly stumped up by the telecoms industry — to deploy broadband in schools. Now schools are expected to avail of broadband using old clapped out computers, 8 or 9 years old. The sad reality is that those computers are not capable of using broadband; in fact they can’t operate modern educational software, which is probably just as well, because schools have received no funding from the department since 2002 to purchase software, or to repair or upgrade outdated equipment.

It is disheartening to listen to the Minister speak of the “Knowledge society” given the reality of today’s classroom. The Minister in Feb. 2007 when announcing the formation of the strategy group to advise her on the future development of ICT in schools said: "Ireland's continuing development as an advanced knowledge society will rely on the skills of our young people. The development of strong ICT literacy in all of our children will be an essential life skill for them as they look to participate in the opportunities of the global knowledge society. It is imperative that our schools provide opportunities for all of our children to develop to their full potential in that regard".

Again in January 2008 the Minister for Education and Science, Mary Hanafin, launching the Schools Broadband Access Programme said: “ICT in the classroom is important, both in terms of giving students the opportunity to achieve computer literacy and acquire the necessary skills for participation in the Information Society, and in terms of enhancing the educational experience across the broad range of subjects taught in schools”. She was at it again the following day! The Minister for Education and Science Mary Hanafin T.D. delivered a keynote address to the 2008 Government Leaders Forum, taking place in Berlin, Germany.

Speaking about the critical role of Europe's education systems, Minister Hanafin said "in order to compete in the global market, we have to ensure that we are fostering the creativity, skills and motivation for learning that will give us the vital edge needed for sustained economic and social success. Europe's and Ireland's future success relies on our ability to create and to innovate. We cannot be found standing still when development of new ideas, new and better products and processes are needed to drive forward our economy.

The sad reality is that we have a collapsing infrastructure at the moment because of the chronic lack of funding. Then on the last day of the school year for secondary schools (June 20, 2008), we learn that the ICT Advisors attached to the Education Centres would have their contracts terminated from August 31^st. It is also now clear that the reluctance of the DES to publish the Expert Groups report on ICT is because it has been decided, though not publicly admitted, that the much vaunted €252m announced in the NDP is not now going to be paid.

Irish schools are in a digital “limbo”. There is no policy within the DES on ICT; the schools broadband system, supplying a woefully inadequate download speed of 1mb to primary schools and 2mb to secondary is creaking; schools’ computers are old, and not amenable to an upgrade, even if the money existed for such; indigenous Irish software for Irish curricula does not exist.

We need a five year policy framework with planned funding of €500m just to catch up with our neighbours in Europe. A huge digital divide is opening up between this country and the rest of Europe. If we look at what is happening in Northern Ireland we see some US$100m being invested as part of a Classroom initiative to enable education authorities there to proceed with a 10-year plan to give all students from primary to university level access to their own PC, email address and broadband access.

The programme, run by the Western Education and Library Board, involves 900 primary and 250 post-primary schools throughout the province and serves some 350,0000 students and teachers. It comprises between 60,000 and 70,000 PCs distributed across Northern Ireland. That is a ratio of 1:5

The Digital Schools Initiative launched last year shows that the only vision for the use of ICT in schools is the vision of serving teachers who have worked bravely and ploughed a lonely furrow in recent years, despite no funding, in spite of clapped out computers and in spite of any policy directives or input from the DES. If the current recession leads to renewed emigration, we are in danger of sending our young people out without the requisite skills in ICT that will make them employable in the global economy. Surely it is time for some vision from government, time to invest in education, because investment in education is an investment in our future.