Giving kids a fair click of the mouse

From online banking to shopping at Tesco, technology infiltrates every aspect of our lives and computer literacy is now a vital skill, writes Ali Bracken.

Today's "haves and have-nots" can be defined by their access to computers. Disadvantaged children who don't get the chance to try computers fall further behind their peers who do.

"Children are very attracted to technology," says Emma Jane Nulty of Barnardos in Dún Laoghaire, "no matter what age they are." Barbara Stewart of Barnardos in Galway agrees. Both women are co-ordinators of innovative projects that introduce disadvantaged children to technology in an interactive environment. The promising results spurred Barnardos to begin fundraising to implement the programmes in their charities nationwide to help bridge the digital divide.

Barnardos believes that today in Ireland 120,000 children live in consistent poverty. The charity reaches 10 per cent of these disadvantaged children and their families. While many Irish children take for granted PCs in their homes or computer facilities at school, there are many children who never get this opportunity for economic reasons and/or poor school attendance.

The Government is also focusing on bridging the digital divide. The National Centre for Technology in Education (NCTE) is a Government agency established to provide advice, support and facts on the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in education. By early 2006, it is promised that all schools in Ireland will be connected to broadband and operate on one core schools' broadband network under the ICT scheme.

"We think it's going to be the biggest network in the country once it's connected," says Tom Lonergan, national co-ordinator for technology integration.

Benefiting from this scheme will be all first- and second-level institutions, including comprehensive, community and special schools. Approximately 3,800 of these schools are first level. Lonergan says this means that children from the age of five will potentially have high-speed access to the internet. The network will also contain a content-filtering system that will constantly monitor what children are accessing online.

Paint, Sand and Computers - one of the computer programmes Barnardos is introducing nationwide - is based on a pilot project currently in place in Barnardos of Dún Laoghaire and Loughlinstown. The initiative is introducing technology into the children's play environment.

"The focus is not on the educational side of using a computer. It is a lot more around helping children to problem-solve, deal with conflict and be interactive with peers," says project leader, Emma Jane Nulty. One of the findings of this study was that the use of technology as a therapeutic tool amongst traditional children's play toys led to a decrease in behavioural problems.

Computer Characters, the second project piloted by Barnardos of Galway, also proved a resounding success. Thirty-three children and many of their families were introduced to computers for the first time and, when the course was completed, many were given PCs to take home.

One of the most positive aspects of the project, says co-ordinator Barbara Stewart, was the integration of asylum seekers and members of the travelling community who otherwise may not have had access to technology.

Family participation was encouraged and parent training was provided, she adds, as children are much more likely to continue learning at home when parents are computer literate.

With their new computer programmes educating parents too, Barnardos is trying to stop disadvantaged children falling on the wrong side of the digital divide.