A government scheme has granted high speed broadband to St Kieran’s, along with 78 other second-level schools, and is to be rolled out nationwide in the next two years.
Communications Minister Eamon Ryan has recently announced that the €13 million Broadband to Schools Scheme has delivered 100 megabit high speed fibre and wireless broadband to St Kieran’s College in Kilkenny.
All second-level schools nationwide will have a chance to benefit from the scheme in the next two years. Ireland is one the first countries in the world to introduce a programme of this kind on a national level.
Fibreoptic and wireless networks were installed in St Kieran’s over the past year. These networks will allow for speeds of 100 megabits per second, speeds on a par with multinational corporations based here. Eighteen wireless digital projectors and 19 laptops are among the enhanced ICT facilities which have been distributed to the school.
“The jobs of the future are in the digital economy and our children need to be confident and comfortable in the use of technology,” Minister Ryan said. “Broadband of this capacity and quality will allow them to see and learn things in school that my generation could have only dreamed of.
“We are changing the day-to-day classroom experience. ‘Chalk and talk’ models won’t work any more,” continued the Minister. “Learning needs to be multi-sensory and interactive, allowing students to learn in schools in the same way they socialise and learn at home.
“With this scheme, we are creating the digital citizens — the writers, the inventors, and the business people — of the future. I believe the provision of 100 megabits broadband will transform education in Ireland and place our children at the forefront of the digital revolution.
“All secondary schools in Kilkenny will soon reap the benefits,” said Minister Ryan.
Various criteria must be met by schools in order to qualify for the scheme, including geographical location, and an appropriate mix of schools to ensure broad social inclusion. At least one school in every county has qualified for the scheme. The service providers that delivered the fibre and wireless infrastructure include Eircom, Airspeed, Imagine, BT, and Complete Telecom. Dell Ireland has provided the laptop equipment.
