Some 1,200 schools received a total of £800,000 worth of computer equipment under the Tesco Ireland Computers for Schools programme in September.

Tesco has said the promotion will be repeated next year and has also arranged to provide teacher training at primary and secondary level for every computer delivered in the programme following consultation with the INTO, the ASTI and Apple Ireland. Freephone technical support will be provided to teachers in all schools in this year's programme.

As part of the scheme, more than 4,800 items of equipment were distributed. Mr Jerome Morrissey, director of the National Centre for Technology in Education, said: "We welcome the completion of this year's Tesco Computers for Schools initiative, which will facilitate the further distribution of information technology to schools in line with our Schools IT 2000 initiative."