Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 September 2012
479. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of primary schools that do not have access to whiteboard technology; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39366/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra480. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of primary schools classrooms that do not have access to whiteboard technology; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39367/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 479 and 480 together.
Between November 2009 and November 2010, my Department distributed some €46m directly to primary schools under the national ICT Infrastructure Grant Scheme. The main priority under this scheme is the equipping of each classroom with a teaching computer and digital projector. Once the baseline is in place schools can allocate any remaining funding under the scheme to other ICT equipment and software for educational use.
A number of key support measures were taken to help schools get best value in the use of these devolved grants - in particular, the inclusion of schools in national purchasing frameworks for desktops, laptops, digital projectors and printers, the delivery of a national series of e-learning seminars for school leaders, and the provision of extensive guidance and training on the use of ICT in the classroom.
I am aware that there is a significant deployment of interactive whiteboards across primary schools. However, I do not have precise information on the numbers of IWBs deployed per school or per classroom. In practice, expenditure decisions at this level are matters for the Boards of Management of the schools concerned subject to compliance with conditions of grant funding, and are not subject to central national statistical reporting.
That said, I am keen to assess the impact of the funding distributed, and in that context it is planned to carry out a comprehensive survey of ICT integration in schools later this year. I would like to assure the Deputy that this survey will include questions covering interactive whiteboard deployment and I look forward to sharing the results with all stakeholders in due course.
