WRITTEN QUESTION P-0538/01

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(16 February 2001)

Subject: Linking up schools to the Internet

Does the Commission have any comparative data about the link-up of schools to the Internet for each Member State of the European Union? What measures has it taken so far to promote the link-up of schools to the Internet and what steps does it intend to take in this area in future?

Answer given by Ms Reding on behalf of the Commission

(8 May 2001)

Linking schools to the Internet and providing them with computer and multimedia equipment are matters for the Member States. However, at the Commission's initiative, the Member States have adopted very ambitious objectives in this area as part of the eEurope action plan. These objectives include, in particular, providing all schools with access to the Internet and to multimedia resources by the end of 2001 and giving all pupils access to the Internet and to multimedia resources in their classrooms by the end of 2002.

In order to monitor the progress made towards achieving these objectives, the Commission has comparative data on the connection of schools to the Internet, broken down by Member State. It received these data from the correspondents of the eLearning working party who were appointed by the Ministers of Education of the Member States. They have been included in the report entitled Realising the European Union's potential: consolidating and extending the Lisbon strategy that the Commission is sending directly to the Honourable Member and to the Secretariat-General of Parliament(1).

It is important to stress, however, that these data merely indicate whether an Internet connection exists and do not show the quality or level of service available or the extent to which it is actually used for teaching. In order to improve decision-making on the integration of information and communication technologies into schools, it is essential to have better data. To this end, the Education and Culture DG is working in close cooperation with the Information Society DG and Eurostat to define better qualitative and quantitative indicators in this area.

This cooperation concerns in particular the comparative evaluation of the performance of the Member States in implementing the objectives of the eEurope action plan. The Council of Ministers has approved a list of indicators, including in the area of education, which are being monitored by the Commission.

A Eurobarometer survey has been carried out on the use of ICTs (information and communication technologies) in schools. The results, which show rapid progress, will soon be available on the Europa server.

The Information Society Technologies Programme is promoting research activities complementary to the subject. As example, for the 2001, the action line e-learning for European Youth into the digital age is expected to pull together a critical mass of key actors, from various European sectors, to research, develop

and perform large scale validation of novel ICT based systems and services, at a trans-European level, for improving elearning in schools and higher education institutions in the digital age.

(1) COM(2001) 79 final.