Highlights from the latest updates:

The extensive reports are now structured in six sections, encompassing  recent  educational developments, policy, practice, content and services, teacher training and finally infrastructure and access. Issues related to curriculum reforms, science education and internet safety were a special focus of 2005 reports.

In Belgium (Flanders), an interesting find outlined in the report is the new basic ICT competencies structure which was first drafted in 2004. The scheme aims to evaluate primary school pupil’s competencies by focusing on the learning process through a vertical integration of ICT across the school. Technical and operating skills are not an objective in itself and seen as operating or supporting skills. Belgium will also introduce the electronic identity card to all 12 year old children and a card reader that provides access to specifically developed safe Internet sites in December 2005.

Ella Kiesi and Marianna Nieminen, from the Finnish National Board of Education report on the Digital Inclusion Programme in Finland which aims to achieve the objectives of lifelong learning as well an information society based on civic equality. The government Information Society Programme website highlights best information society practices throughout Finland. In terms of content developments, the National Board of Education will devise quality criteria for virtual learning material used in basic and upper secondary education by the end of 2005.

There are various initiatives aiming at home- school linking in France. The initiative “Equipping homes” under the Youth and Family Programme made computers available at preferential rates through agreements signed with manufacturers and publishers. By 2007, all students and teachers, from nursery school to the final year of secondary school, will have access to a VLE. With the VLE students are able to check on-line – whether at or away from school – timetables, homework notebook and grades, as well as consulting the documentation posted by the teachers, and working with other students.

In Greece, Agapi Vavouraki from the Hellenic Pedagogical Institute explains that ICT is used mainly within Informatics and in other subjects according to the individual teacher’s interest and initiative. Responding to the challenge of making learning more students centred new cross curriculum subjects have been initiated in primary and secondary education. The Flexible Zone was introduced to provide the necessary time within school schedules dedicated to students’ cross cultural projects. Greece is also active in European Union’s projects and school contests such as ‘Earth and Space’, eTwinning, Green Week, Spring Day in Europe and Global Gateway.

In Lithuania work is focused on creating an educational computers network to modernise management of the education system and to foster communication among the school communities. For this a network of educational computers and an educational portal have been created; school intranet systems have been introduced.

Pr. John Anderson, from the Department of Education in Northern Ireland refers to the  new strategy christened ‘emPowering School Strategy’ which was drown up in 2003 and sets out milestones to change practice in teaching, learning and school leadership for 2008.

In Norway, a new national curriculum will be implemented as of 2006 which will require additional teacher training due to the introduction of ICT as one of the five basic skills which are to be integrated across all subjects at every level. The Government’s programme for digital Literacy 2004-2008 specifies that using digital portfolios for assessment shall be implemented in education at every level by 2008.

In Switzerland gender equality is actively encouraged. The Swiss educational server, EDUCA, will create online dossiers in three languages about equality in ICT use in schools. Moreover, project management criteria have been drawn up concerning gender issues and equality, which will be taken into consideration for projects submitted under the Public Private partnership “Schools on the Net”.

In the United Kingdom, the new e-strategy “Harnessing Technology: Transforming learning and children’s services”, describes the use of digital and interactive technologies to achieve a more personalised approach within all areas of education and children services. The report also highlights a recent study on pupils’ uses of ICT at home and the relationship between levels of home ICT and attainment at school.

Updated reports from Austria, Sweden, Portugal, Hungary, Estonia, Malta and Iceland will be added to the database within the next weeks. Reports from previous years are accessible via the Insight library.

Country reports:
http://insight.eun.org/ww/en/pub/insight/misc/country_report.cfm

myInsight:
http://insight.eun.org/ww/en/pub/insight/misc/myinsight.cfm

Previous years reports (Insight Library):
http://insight.eun.org/ww/en/pub/insight/misc/library.cfm