THE ASTI has identified a number of key issues with regard to Information Technology (IT) in schools the main one of which is the need for a coherent policy for the development of IT in schools being paramount.
Other key issues include the need to look at the implications of IT and the role of the teacher and the need for the availability of educational software which is relevant to Irish students. There is also a demand for investment in IT equipment in schools and the development of appropriate support structures in schools, according to the ASTI.
In a draft submission to the Information Society Steering Group, the union states that "notwithstanding the major developments in education policy which have taken place in recent years, the area of IT in schools has not been addressed in any coherent manner". The White Paper on Education does not contain any specific reference to IT in schools.
"While the Department of Education has promoted IT in schools, its approach, in the opinion of the ASTI, is fragmented and not based on long-term policy initiatives." Many Departmental initiatives have emerged as a result of the availability of EU funding or other short-term strategic considerations.
The ASTI recommends the drawing up of a statement defining the role of IT in the curriculum and schools as well as a statement defining short-term and long-term goals. The union's submission also calls for a statement on the availability of IT equipment in schools and a statement concerning the implication of the integration of IT into the curriculum for teacher education.
The ASTI shares the Department of Education's concern with respect to the imposition of a grand plan at national level for the development of IT in schools. "Policies which are top-down tend to have a technical rather than a pedagogical focus and do not make an impact on the teaching profession as a whole."
The union recommends that the Department develops a national policy framework for IT in the education system, an essential element of which would be the development of relevant pilot projects.
The establishment of a national Technology in Education Unit, a proposed by the Department, is supported by the ASTI as meeting the need for a co-ordinated approach, which is bottom-up, and owned by the teaching profession.
