$300,000 funding boost to upgrade school technology

Media release – 18 March 2014

$300,000 funding boost to upgrade school technology infrastructure

West Coast secondary and area schools are to receive nearly $300,000 funding from DWC to ensure they can make the most of new technology like ultra fast broadband.

The funding boost will allow the seven West Coast schools to upgrade their ICT infrastructure so they are not constrained by capacity or access issues. It will give students the ability to access the same high quality ICT services and functionality as their counterparts across New Zealand. The financial support comes two years after DWC provided $303,000 to West Coast primary schools to upgrade wireless networks and purchase new classroom technology.

Chair of the West Coast Secondary and Area School Principals’ Association Kieran Stone says the funding is absolutely fantastic as schools will now be on an equal playing field with those throughout the country.

“We are noticing that students coming through from the primary schools are relatively computer literate so this will mean that all schools on the West Coast will have the infrastructure to make the best use of whatever technology comes our way.

This is a huge investment by DWC, they are thinking very laterally and seeing education as a way of developing the West Coast economy,” he says.

DWC’s funding will contribute towards each of the West Coast secondary and area schools’ total ICT infrastructure upgrade costs. The schools must also contribute towards these costs and ensure they have in place an ICT sustainability plan.

DWC Chair John Sturgeon says Trustees see the economic and social benefit of assisting schools to make the most of new technology. “You have this great technology at the gate and you want to make sure the kids will be able to take full advantage of it. The funding given to the primary schools has been very successful.

With more and more of the school curriculum being developed online, if the schools don’t have the capability to meet those curriculum requirements the students’ learning will be compromised,” he says.

Between 2011 and 2013 DWC funded 31 West Coast primary schools $303,000 to upgrade wireless networks and purchase new classroom technology including computers, tablets and digital cameras. An independent review of the first year of the Computers in Schools project found students were more engaged in learning and had increased motivation since the introduction of the new technology.

All West Coast schools apart from Karamea Area School are now connected to ultrafast broadband services.

ENDS

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