Gaelcholaiste Phort Láirge in County Waterford have become one of a group of 15 schools from across Ireland to be recognised for their use of digital technology at the European Digital Schools Awards today.
The European Digital Schools Awards are an ambitious new educational initiative which aim to establish cross-border networks and learning.
As some of first to take part in the initiative, the group of Irish schools, Gaelcholaiste Port Láirge included, helped set the benchmark for others to follow. They were officially recognised for their digital education strategy at an event held at University College Dublin today (Monday 28 March), where the Minister of Education, Norma Foley, congratulated the Ballygunner secondary school on their achievements via video.
The European Digital Schools Awards encourage and recognise innovation, collaboration, and skills development in the digital sphere. With support from the European Commission’s Erasmus+ programme, leading technology companies such as HP and AMD, and a number of national education agencies, it is the only initiative of its kind in Europe and is aimed at providing pupils with the skills they need to flourish in the modern world.
A total of 100 secondary schools in five European countries took part in the pilot programme, with just 79 receiving the top award.
Following the success of the pilot, the initiative is now being made available to all schools in Ireland, Scotland, Lithuania, Serbia, and Slovenia, with plans also in motion to roll out the programme more widely across Europe.
As the programme expands, it will provide teachers and educational leaders with greater access to support and the opportunity to take learnings from other countries.
To achieve European Digital Schools status, schools must use the European Commission’s SELFIE self-reflection tool to assess their digital learning and teaching practices and identify areas where improvements can be made.
They can then access a range of expert supports and resources to help them develop their digital curriculum in line with industry best practices.
Norma Foley, Minister of Education said:
“The European Digital Schools Awards is an excellent example of industry bodies and educational organisations working together to support schools as they continue to incorporate digital technology into the curriculum.
“The success of the pilot programme across Ireland has been inspiring, and it is great to see so many of our schools involved. With the initiative now available to all Irish schools, we hope to see many more getting involved.”
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