Irish pupils are lagging behind on the superhighway

Teaching Matters: The pace of change in Irish society is accelerating. Technology has completely changed almost every working environment - from newspaper production to tax collection. Leisure pursuits increasingly involve the use of technology and nowhere is this more evident than in the iPod-carrying, PS2 generation of today.

The vast majority of Irish primary school pupils will, in the not too distant future, be employed in jobs that will involve the use of technology. Ireland is moving away from traditional manufacturing industries and much of our future economic strength will lie in developing and expanding hi-tech markets. This is an economic reality that cannot be ignored. Therefore it is simply inexcusable that schools which should be preparing children for tomorrow's world have only a basic access to technology. Technology should be as relevant as pens and pencils to every area of the primary school curriculum.

This sorry state has come about primarily because of a complete lack of policy and a funding strategy by the Department of Education to ensure the development of technology in our schools. There has been no direct investment in software and hardware in schools since 2002, the year this Government took office. This is a lifetime in terms of technology. Although most schools now have broadband, they are now forced to use clapped-out computers, many of which cannot access the information superhighway.

Where technology is flourishing in schools it does so on the back of local fundraising and the good will, enthusiasm and expertise of "techie teachers". In some schools parents and teachers have raised thousands of euro to provide pupils with what should be an integral part of a basic education. Within schools, the substantial burden of maintaining this investment has been carried by teachers with an interest in the area.

The major problem is that the Government does not provide for on-going technical support. Neither are schools given a budget with which they can source such support locally. The result is that teachers find themselves repairing and upgrading hardware and solving software glitches.

Technical support requires more than once-off investment, as the story told about Bill Gates going to heaven illustrates. In recognition of his earthly achievements, St Peter gave him a nice little cottage for himself. Gates was quite content until he met a man who told him he had a mansion with a golf course, a yacht and a Rolls Royce. That man was the captain of the Titanic.

Gates stormed off to ask St Peter how the captain of a sunken ship got to spend eternity in luxury while he, the inventor of the Windows operating system, got a crummy little house. "We use windows here," said St Peter, "but the Titanic crashed only once".

One of Ireland's major technology firms recently disclosed that for every euro that was invested in hardware, a further five were spent on technical support. That is in an environment where there is a top-class knowledge and understanding of the latest technology. They do it because technology is central to the business. It is recognised in business that computer software crashes, hardware breaks down and eventually wears out. If technology is going to be an integral part of the curriculum in our schools then the first priority is to ensure that it is dependable and available.

There are many primary teachers who have taken the initiative against all odds to incorporate technology into the classroom for the benefit of pupils. However, there are also many teachers who are relatively ill at ease with technology and are understandably apprehensive about how to incorporate it into their teaching. It is therefore vital that all teachers have opportunities throughout their careers to experience personal and professional development and support in the area of technology in education. This must be must be done in a systematic way because it is too important to be left to chance.

In addition to technology becoming an economic reality, it should become a reality in education for a variety of positive and powerful reasons. Our current concept of literacy as the "written word" is expanding to include the "on-screen word". Technology is an excellent educational tool. The quality of computer software and internet resources enable the expansion of the role of the teacher as an "information provider" to accommodate that of "information facilitator".

Computers can match the individual learning needs of children. Technology in education has the potential to minimise the geographical isolation of pupils, teachers and their schools. There are hidden curriculum benefits for pupils and teachers. These include enhancement of individuals' self-esteem and self-empowerment as active citizens of the information age.

Other countries have already taken action and launched plans for bringing their education systems in line with the dynamics of the information age. This information age has well and truly arrived in Ireland. The challenge for the Department of Education and Science is to meet the education and training needs and challenges. The consequence of not preparing Irish pupils to take their place in this brave new world will be the betrayal this generation and those that follow.

Valerie Monaghan is principal of Scoil Chiarán, Glasnevin, Dublin