Michael Creed
Ceist:112 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Education and Science his views on whether it is now appropriate to introduce computer literacy to the school curriculum. [26249/00]
Written Answers. - School Programmes.
I am highly conscious of the importance of promoting computer literacy among the school-going population and I am implementing a range of measures to address this. The most significant of these is the Schools IT 2000 project. By the end of the current year, £41 million of public money will have been invested in implementing the project. Its aim is to ensure that pupils in every school have the opportunity to achieve computer literacy and to equip themselves for participation in the information society. The strategies being used to achieve this ambitious objective are the provision of assistance to every first and second level school in building up its technology infrastructure, the development of teacher skills and the establishment of support services. In a recent survey more than 95% of schools stated that they are using the Internet and 34,000 teachers stated that they attended one or more IT training courses since early 1998. These facts provide a measure of the excellent progress made to date and work ongoing.
Within schools the emphasis is on developing computer literacy across the curriculum. Teachers are encouraged to use the modern technologies to enhance their teaching. Pupils at both first and second levels are being afforded growing opportunities to gain "hands on" experience of computers in order to develop their skills. Many programmes on offer in schools such as the transition year, the leaving certificate vocational programme and the leaving certificate applied include modules in information technology. The computer studies option is available to leaving certificate students who, upon successful completion of a one-year course, are awarded a certificate from my Department. Schools are increas ingly able to provide such opportunities for their pupils as a result of the Schools IT 2000 initiative.
The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, has recently produced a set of guidelines on the use of information and communication technologies in learning and teaching. These will be issued to all schools in the near future. The NCCA is also examining the feasibility of introducing computer studies-computer science as a subject for the leaving certificate. It has commissioned an impact study to investigate this and it will be in a position to advise me in this respect shortly.