A chara, - Kathryn Holmquist (EL, February 20th) raised some interesting questions about the wisdom of investment in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education. However, a casual reader of the article might mistakenly conclude the following:
(1) The introduction of ICT in Irish schools was substantially funded by the Department of Education and Science.
(2) There is inadequate evidence that funding for ICT in schools is justifiable.
Of approximately £40,000 which our school has invested in the implementation of our ICT plan over the past few years, less than a quarter came from the Department. The fund-raising efforts of teachers, parents and pupils paid for the lion's share of the costs. I know that this was also the case for many other primary schools. Readers might also like to know that there was very little state investment in ICT training for teachers and that in most cases, teachers "upskilled" at their own expense outside school hours (a fact which one hopes will not go unnoticed by the Review Body on Benchmarking). There is no specific grant for ICT in primary schools in the current academic year, though there had been for the past two years, and schools which invested in equipment have to maintain it without State assistance. However, it should be admitted that the DES initiative, despite its limitations, helped to introduce ICT to many schools.
Regarding the justifiability of funding ICT, the practical evidence in our school to date is that information and communication technology is a most useful tool in teaching and learning and literacy standards are enhanced by its use. Most practitioners would not view proficiency in ICT as an end in itself, but as a useful means of accessing and providing information in a way which most pupils find exciting, enjoyable and challenging. It adds a new dimension to catering for pupils with special needs and many schools will testify to its enhancement of learning outcomes in this area. - Is mise,
Proinsias OhOgain, Priomhoide, Scoil San Treasa, Mount Merrion, Co Dublin.