NLIS 3
January 2, 2004
(Education)

 

Education Department and Aliant announce extension of agreement

Education Minister John Ottenheimer and Heather Tulk, vice-president broadband and marketing for Aliant, are pleased to announce today the extension of a 1997 agreement which will ensure DirecPC/ExpressVu satellite capabilities for 28 schools throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

The SchoolNet agreement between Industry Canada, Aliant and the province provides free satellite dishes and heavily subsidized Internet connectivity to schools in rural and remote locations and was set to expire on December 31, 2003. Over the past several months, discussions have been ongoing between Industry Canada, Aliant and the Department of Education's Centre for Distance Learning and Innovation (CDLI) to explore the possibility of extending the agreement until the end of the current school year. This would allow the province and the schools affected to set up an alternate connectivity arrangement prior to the start of the 2004 school year.

"This is wonderful news for the students and staff at these 28 schools," said Minister Ottenheimer. "Teachers and students rely heavily on the teaching and learning opportunities available through the World Wide Web and with this agreement in place, we have a grace period to work with our provincial public and private partners in developing an acceptable alternative to the DirecPC programming. On behalf of all these schools and the students who will continue to benefit, I express my sincere thanks to Aliant for extending this agreement."

"Since 1997, Aliant has been a proud partner in the SchoolNet program and has contributed more than $3.1 million in cash through direct subsidization of DirecPC/ExpressVu, as well as a further $50,000 through donations of refurbished computers," said Ms. Tulk. "We remain committed to supporting students in Newfoundland and Labrador with technology solutions for education and we are very pleased to be working closely with the province to develop a plan that will ensure a smooth transition to the best technology available.

Minister Ottenheimer noted that support for the use of technology in schools is a priority with the Department of Education. "I have had the opportunity to visit two schools in recent weeks which are using innovative technologies to enhance learning and development - Holy Heart of Mary in St. John's and St. Paul's Intermediate in Gander. These technologies open up new worlds of teaching and learning opportunities, and I applaud the teachers throughout Newfoundland and Labrador who are bringing these technologies into the classroom for the benefit of the students."

Media contact:
          Lynn Salter, Department of Education, (709) 729-0048
          Lynn Coveyduck, Aliant, 1-866-487-5653

2004 01 02                                       1:00 p.m.


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