THE DEPARTMENT of Education is moving to establish a new partnership with the main US computer companies amid increasing concern about the state of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in Irish schools.
Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe yesterday met representatives of Apple, Hewlett Packard and Microsoft. In the coming days and weeks, he plans to meet Dell, Intel and Lenovo.
Last night the Minister said: "This series of meetings is designed to explore innovative and cost-effective ways in which ICT providers could work with my department in delivering computer hardware to schools.
"While the development of a possible delivery partnership arrangement is very much in its infancy, the meetings so far have been very positive. I look forward to shortly receiving a range of options from the industry which might point a way forward.
"In these more challenging economic times, it's all the more important to examine cost-effective delivery models for our schools."
The Minister has asked the ICT operators to come back to him in the very near future with a set of options.
These should point towards "cost-effective, affordable and innovative ways'' in which the Government could establish a partnership arrangement with the private sector in delivering computer hardware to schools, he said.
The options under discussion include new leasing arrangements, discounted equipment and "a buy-one-get-one-free" offer.
As part of the €252 million investment under the National Development Plan (NDP), some 11,000 teachers are undergoing training in ICT proficiency.
The €252 million commitment by the Government covers the next seven years.
Each year, €14 million is being spent under the NDP fund on such ICT initiatives, but the Republic still lags well behind other OECD states in ICT investment.
The Minister says his longer term goal is to increase the take-up of science, engineering and technology courses at third-level in the building of Ireland's knowledge economy. Stimulating an interest in computer technology in the classroom can only aid that endeavour, he said.
The Teachers' Union of Ireland has said that over half of school computers are unusable.
At present, the Republic is close to the bottom of OECD tables in relation to ICT facilities in schools.
In Northern Ireland some €75 million is spent annually on school ICT, and all principals and teachers have laptops for educational use.
