A secondary school in Limerick is making information technology a key part of students' studies.
The 'Wired for Learning' project means that the traditional pen and paper has been replaced by laptop computers.
On the face of it Coláiste Chiaráin looks like any other community school.
Coláiste Chiaráin caters for 285 students in Croom County Limerick. It is only when you enter the classroom that you see the difference between here and other schools. There is not a pen or piece of paper in sight and laptops have been integrated into nearly every subject.
Principal Noel Malone says that the objective is to create Ireland's first Wired For Learning school and sees the use of laptops as an enhancement of the education system.
We want to create Ireland's first Wired For Learning educational school.
The Wired For Learning initiative is supported by Dell Computers and all first and second year students at Coláiste Chiaráin have been equipped with laptop notebooks. The idea is to extend student learning beyond the traditional school walls and beyond the traditional school day.
James Carroll, a student at Coláiste Chiaráin outlines some of the benefits of using a laptop for learning. He explains how various software benefits his learning in specific subjects. All homework is now done on laptop and students email their work to their teachers.
There's no excuse now if you don't have your homework done.
The parents are also involved in the initiative. They pay around £900 for the laptops which they will eventually own. The school also provides computer training courses for the parents so that they can keep up with their children's learning. Norma Carroll James' mother says that the initiative is a great advantage for the students in preparing them for the workplace.
The initiative is being carried out without any financial support from the Department of Education. All the money has been raised through sponsorship and local support.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 26 March 2002. The reporter is Dympna Moroney.
