Martin Brady
Question:191 Mr. M. Brady asked the Minister for Education and Science the studies, if any, undertaken or planned into educational benefits of the Internet at primary and secondary level schools. [5454/99]
Written Answers. - Computerisation Programme.
My Department, in association with RTE and BOCOM International, implemented a project in the first half of 1998 to broadcast selected Internet sites and materials to 50 schools at primary and second level and to five libraries. One of the aims of this project was to determine the educational benefits of the Internet for schools. My Department is currently studying an evaluation of this project.
Under the Schools IT 2000 initiative, I will shortly launch ScoilNet as part of the School Support Initiative. The National Centre for Technology in Education, NCTE, has made available a ScoilNet prototype website on the Internet since September 1998. Since then the NCTE has been taking submissions from a wide range of end-users in education on how they would wish to see ScoilNet developing in order that the best educational benefits may be derived from Internet use. This interaction will continue even after the official launch of ScoilNet to ensure that the educational needs of schools can be identified and met as appropriate through Internet use.
As part of the overall evaluation of the Schools IT 2000 initiative, which runs until the end of the year 2000, my Department will undertake a study into the educational benefits of the Internet with specific reference to ScoilNet.