The Missing School ICT Grant: No Money, No Mindset
Anne Looney, the Dean of Education in Dublin City University recently said of the upcoming 2026 Curriculum that education systems are the set of stories that one generation chooses to tell the next. However, the recent decision by the Department of Education (DoE) to slash the ICT grant without notice shows that the next generation will feel very shortchanged by the stories we give them. The failed payment, which is really the tip of an overall negligent iceberg, calls into question the priority of technology in education.
However, it’s no surprise to me that this keeps happening. It’s more than concerning that neither the Irish Primary Principals Network (IPPN) criticised the decision. Their response? IPPN advises schools to inform their board of management, an action that, in the grand scheme of things, is futile. What real change can a board effectuate?
The IPPN’s continuing silence on increasing workloads, especially with the introduction of multiple initiatives such as PLC webinars, a new curriculum framework, Summer Provision, and more, is deafening. So much for their roadmap to sustainability!
The PDST Technology in Education, previously known as the National Council for Technology in Education (NCTE), is another entity that seems to have lost its spark. Remember when the NCTE supported brilliant projects like Fís, and promoted innovations like Scoilnet blogs? While there are some remnants of their excellent past, like the Webwise section and their CPD offerings, it feels like they’ve lost their vision.
Policy and planning have persistently been the stumbling blocks for the agency. The decisions they’ve made, from teacher training focus on worksheet creation in 1998 to the failure of producing a cohesive ICT plan, have stunted technology’s growth in schools. The underfunding and lack of infrastructure support means schools are left scrounging for old computers, operating on outdated software, and dependent on staff goodwill for tech solutions.
Take, for example, the recently released “Digital Technology Infrastructure Guide” for school leaders by PDST. While detailed, it expects school leaders to be the primary caretakers of their school’s ICT infrastructure, alongside the many other hats they already wear. With no funds allocated for IT support, these expectations are at best ambitious, and at worst, unrealistic. The document lists ‘minimum expectations’ for ICT infrastructure, but even a cursory estimate shows a required budget between €80K and €95K. Where are schools supposed to get this kind of funding?
And the real irony? Technology is set to become a curriculum subject in three short years. How can schools be expected to teach technology without the fundamental resources? The DoE seems more concerned with other areas like book grants and counselling services than equipping schools with even the minimum tech needed.
If the Department of Education genuinely believes in the importance of technology in education, their actions should match their words. A lack of funds and a disconnected mindset are hampering progress. Technology has a crucial role to play in the education sector. However, with the current state of affairs, schools might struggle even to afford the simplest of digital frameworks.
