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LUMBY – Government will begin a planning process to upgrade Internet service to rural communities as part of an action plan to bolster rural schools, Education Minister Christy Clark said today in releasing the report of the Task Force on Rural Education.
“We made a New Era commitment to bridge the digital divide and work to extend high-speed, broadband Internet access to every community in B.C.,” Clark said. “This process is one of our government’s steps towards fulfilling that goal.
“Some rural schools have only dial-up Internet access, and the task force made it clear they need broadband Internet access. We want to ensure that students and educators living in the heartlands can access current technology and state-of-the-art electronic teaching tools.”
As a first step, the Ministry of Education will work with the Ministry of Management Services to identify schools that need Internet upgrading, prioritize schools based on need and determine how the upgrading will link with government’s overall strategy to bridge the digital divide. Planning is expected to be completed in 2004, with implementation over the 2004-05 fiscal year.
Clark announced the Rural Achievement Action Plan at Whitevale Elementary in Lumby, one of the communities that needs upgrading. As part of the action plan, government will also:
· Develop a forgivable student loan program for B.C. students enrolled in teacher education programs, provided they practice for five years in under-served B.C. communities.
· Investigate new models for rural community schools as an alternative to school closures.
· Provide $225,000 to three school districts or regions to pilot electronic learning and develop models that can be used across the province.
“It’s clear that quality teaching results in quality learning,” said Clark. “Our plan recognizes the importance of attracting education students to become teachers in rural areas, and in exploring ways to keep small, rural schools viable.”
The action plan supports the recommendations contained in the rural education task force report. The task force was appointed last fall to recommend ways to ensure students in rural and remote communities across B.C. have access to quality education. The task force visited 30 rural school districts to consult with teachers, administrators, parents and educational leaders. It received more than 233 submissions and made 19 recommendations.
“I want to thank chair Jim Imrich and the task force members for their exceptional work and commitment to children’s success in rural B.C.,” said Clark. “Rural communities play a key role in our economy, and students and teachers in these communities deserve government’s commitment to their success.”
-30- Click here for the Task Force on Rural Education report.
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