Published on the 19/08/2015 | Written by Newsdesk
With the connection of the 2000th school to its Managed Network, Network for Learning (N4L) said fast internet is in 80 percent of the country’s schools…
The company said more than 600,000 students and 42,000 teachers across the country have access to the government-funded Managed Network, with uncapped data, web filtering and network security services.
In a statement, associate education minister Nikki Kaye said the Government is investing $211 million in the project, “So that all state, state-integrated and partnership schools can have uncapped internet access funded by the Crown. This is about ensuring every young person has access to high-quality internet for learning, no matter where they go to school in New Zealand. Fast connections and uncapped data are like heat and water. Every student should have as much as they need to achieve their best and make the most of their school day.”
The Managed Network rollout is ahead of schedule, said N4L, with over 700 schools connecting since it passed the halfway mark in February. Some of the most recently connected schools include Auckland’s Rangitoto College and New Plymouth’s Puketapu School.
N4L CEO John Hanna said that everyone in the company is driven by a shared vision for young people to gain the benefits and educational opportunities offered by technology. “Our team has visited every single one of the 2000 connected schools, ensuring each and every one will be able to get the most from using the Managed Network.”
Puketapu School Principal Mike Johnson said the school’s 16 teachers and 220 students are looking forward to N4L managing their internet services so that his staff and students can get on with teaching and learning: “We use a lot of online resources such as reading programmes and video music tutorials which often freeze up when our students try to use them.
“We need a robust infrastructure that works reliably now and also prepares us for the future, where we envisage more online tools being used in the classroom and more students bringing their own devices.”
N4L expects to connect 90 percent of all schools by the end of this year, with all participating schools being able to connect to the Managed Network by the end of next year.
A number of factors determine when a school is able to get its Managed Network connection, not the least of which is availability of the government’s UFB (UltraFast Broadband) and RBI (Rural Broadband Initiative).
When complete by the end of next year, more than 800,000 users are expected to be using the Managed Network.
N4L connected the first school to the Managed Network at the end of November 2013.
