MEPs want more for e-learning

Citation

(2003), "MEPs want more for e-learning", Education + Training, Vol. 45 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/et.2003.00445fab.010

MEPs want more for e-learning

MEPs want more for e-learning

Euro-MPs want more money for the EU programme designed to promote the introduction of information and communication technology (ICT) in European education and training systems. They have called for the two-year e-learning programme (2004-2006) to be given 54 million, compared with the 36 million favoured by the European Commission. Some 40 per cent of the money would be used for school twinning, 30 per cent for setting up "virtual" European campuses, and 10 per cent each for combating the digital divide, technical and administrative help, and "follow-up" actions.

The MEPs also call for the programme to involve sufficient teacher training. While 99 per cent of EU vocational and technical-training institutions, 98 per cent of secondary schools and 90 per cent of primary schools are connected to the Internet, only 39 per cent of primary-school teachers, 50 per cent of secondary-school teachers and 58 per cent of vocational and technical-training instructors use the Internet as a teaching tool.

The rates of Internet use in teaching vary dramatically – from 70 per cent in primary schools in Denmark to only 7 per cent in Greece. The MEPs also favour support for the development of quality software. Around 80 per cent of the software currently used in the EU is produced in the USA.