School gets new school network

A new information technology network is to be trialled at the Maniototo Area School, one of 11 schools throughout the country to be chosen for the upgrade.

The Ministry of Education this week confirmed the Maniototo school as one to receive a new cabling system and computer server, which will be 80% funded by the Government.

Principal Peter Heron said the system would ensure the school's existing computers and video-conferencing resources worked efficiently, as well as enable students to access more online and correspondence learning programmes.

The school has about two or three computers in each classroom, as well as a computer suite and collection of laptops.

Mr Heron said many senior pupils had their own laptops. Computer technology played a vital role at the Ranfurly school as it was so remote, he said.

"We have an old system that has been added to as we've had the money, and when we use video-conferencing, for example, the whole system slows down. This upgrade will mean all our computers and resources work all the time at a much better level, which is excellent because so much of what we do is online," he said.

The school was chosen partly for its small size, as the Government wanted to ascertain the costs of installing the system so it could estimate costs for upgrading larger schools, Mr Heron said.

"Before committing to a huge cost of installing it in larger schools they wanted to use us as a guinea pig and trial the system. It will also give them an idea of how much the actual costs are," he said.

The school had approved the system installation in principle, and would likely make final approval once an audit had been completed and actual costs were known.

Mr Heron said the school had already put aside $50,000 for a network upgrade, which would be used to fund 20% of the system installation.

All going well the system would be installed later this year and ready for use at the beginning of the 2010 school year.