Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 November 2014
453. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to develop broadband services to primary schools in view of the stated position of her Department that these are insufficient to deal with proposed changes to curriculum delivery. [45196/14]
View answerMy Department, in conjunction with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), is currently engaged in a significant programme of curriculum reform at primary level. The first element of this reform programme is a new integrated language curriculum for junior infants to second class which is currently being finalised by the NCCA. This integrated language curriculum is scheduled to be implemented in schools from September 2016.
The current provision of connectivity to primary schools will not in any way impede the proposed changes to the primary curriculum. The NCCA have been asked by my Department to ensure that all primary school teachers are able to access the new curriculum. Appropriate measures will therefore be adopted by the NCCA to ensure that all teachers are able to engage with this and other new curricula as they are rolled out to primary schools. Under the Schools Broadband Access Programme the Department provides for the supply of internet connectivity for all recognised primary schools. A new framework was put in place in 2012 for the provision of this service, as a result of this the number of service providers has been expanded from 6 to 14 with the aim of ensuring that satisfactory solutions would be awarded to all schools. For those primary schools with speeds of less than 2Mbit/s per second, a number will receive higher speed services in the near future and others are currently included in a tender under the framework for improved solutions. Over 80% of all primary schools will be put out to tender under the framework in the first half of 2015 and this should lead to improved services being made available to schools. Under the forthcoming Digital Strategy for schools, improved connectivity for primary schools will be a priority.
