This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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First Minister revisits old school
03/05/2002
First Minister Jack McConnell took a step back in time
when he visited his old school on Arran today and met up
with three of his former teachers.
However, he was looking firmly to the future when he
launched GridClub Scotland a new out-of-school on-line
education project for Scottish children, and opened a new
school extension with a new computer suite.
Mr McConnell said:
"Having grown up in a rural community I am determined to
make sure that we use technology to the full to give the
same opportunities to children throughout Scotland.
"I am delighted therefore to open the new extension
which has brought my old school right into the 21
st century. The new facilities, including a
dedicated computer suite and internet access in its
library, provide the kind of environment that is vital to
help pupils achieve their full potential.
"The Executive is committed to giving all pupils access
to 21
st century communications in their classrooms
and we are currently on track to establish a national
school intranet that will eventually link every school in
Scotland.
"However, children learn all the time, not just in
school. We must bridge the gap between more formal learning
that takes place in school and the less conventional but
important learning that happens out of school.
"GridClub offers a huge variety of fun learning
activities in school or at home. Its unique feature is the
range of secure online clubs, where young people can safely
share their interests in a protected environment.
"I have many great memories of my time in Lamlash and
have already put on record on a number of occasions my
thanks to the teachers here for the education I received
which in turn inspired me to take up teaching."
The First Minister went on to open officially six new
homes in Kilmory for local Arran families who were in
housing need. The development was also presented with an
award from Strathclyde Police for its crime prevention
in-built security features.
Mr McConnell said:
"New homes such as these - high quality, affordable, and
in the right location - are vital to rural communites.
Strong partnership working has enabled quality homes to be
provided for local families.
"I am particularly pleased that these houses are being
recognised by Strathclyde Police for their built-in
security features. Crime prevention is as relevant in rural
communities as it is in urban areas, and designing the
houses with security in mind is an excellent way of
reducing crime, and eliminating the opportunity for
crime.
"For too long young people and families in island
communties have not had access to the first-class
educational opportunities and houses they have wanted and
many have left. By investing in new technology and offering
first-class homes, as well as improving public services and
transport such as the new airport terminals I opened last
week in Lewis and Orkney, I believe we can begin to reverse
this historic trend."
GridClub (
www.gridclub.com) is a fun and educational service aimed at 7 to 11
year olds. It comprises online clubs, television programmes
and supplementary material for teachers and pupils. The
clubs are safe, password protected online learning
communities designed specifically for children and their
teachers.
GridClub is funded by £6 million from the Department for
Education and Skills and by £0.5 million from the Scottish
Executive Education Department. The project is a
partnership between 4Learning, Channel 4's educational arm,
Oracle and Intuitive Media. In Scotland the GridClub
project is managed by Learning and Teaching Scotland.
GridClub UK has already won three major awards: the
British Education and Training Technology (BETT) Award for
Learning Beyond the Classroom; the Electronic Multimedia
Award (EMMA) for best eLearning Site for 0 to 18 year olds;
and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA)
Award for Online Learning.
Isle of Arran Homes is a New Housing Partnership
initiative by North Ayrshire Council and Kirk Care Housing
Association Ltd.