A Department of Education program is to connect regional students and teachers to world-class resources through cutting-edge learning and teaching technology.
The Department said the technology upgrade for all regional schools in NSW was ahead of schedule, with stages two and three of its Rural Access Gap program now under way.
Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning, Sarah Mitchell said 1,000 rural and remote public schools would receive a top-to-bottom digital upgrade following a successful pilot program in the Dubbo, Narrabri and the northern border regions.
“More than 30,000 devices, including laptops and video-conferencing facilities, will be added to the network as part of the first round, with more to follow,” Ms Mitchell said.
“Along with internet enhancements, the Program will provide learning space and platform upgrades, more external and on-site tech support, simplified admin processes, targeted training, better tools and more time to focus on students,” she said.
“The availability of dedicated devices and faster connectivity improves teachers’ productivity in terms of lesson planning, preparation and assessment.”
The Minister said teachers would also have access to digital resources that could be readily incorporated in their digital learning environment and easily shared with students.
“I’ve heard first-hand from teachers who have said this technology has changed their lives and is making great teaching easier to deliver,” she said.
Ms Mitchell said the technology upgrades would result in superior connectivity to enable the State’s best educators to collaborate and share their expertise with colleagues across NSW.
