Plans to Connect Schools to the Internet in different Countries

African Countries
African Internet Connectivity http://www3.sn.apc.org/africa/
(no particular focus on schools, but site that summarizes many African Internet affairs)
Canada
Schoolnet Canada http://www.schoolnet.ca/home/e/index.html is part of "Connecting Canadians" http://www.connect.gc.ca/
All Cannadian schools (as well as libraries and other institutions) shall be connected to the Internet by March 2001. A joint effort by governments, educational institutions and private companies.
Finnland
- Freenet http://www.freenet.hut.fi/english.html
  Community network for Finnish schools
- School resources http://www.edu.fi/english/
- Education, training and research in the information society. A National Strategy. http://www.minedu.fi/infostrategy.html
  By the year 2000 all Finnish schools and libraries shall be connected to the Internet. In 1998 65% of Finnish schools were already connected via ISDN or faster line. (cf. EENet report)
Germany
The initiative Schools Online http://www.san-ev.de/ by the German Ministry of Research and Education, Deutsche Telekom and other sponsors has connected about 12 500 schools (out of 44 000 alltogether) up to March 1999 (http://www.san-ev.de/docs/09-03-99.asp?RubrikID=97); all German schools shall be connected until 2001.
Taiwan
The Taiwanese MOE has the objective to connect all schools until the end of 1999. Regional Centers (mostly big universities) care for the Internet connection, sytem administration, (more or less compulsory) teacher training etc. Budget around 2 Billion US$. (information by Ms Wu Mei-Hua and Prof. Yuan Shyan-Ming, Nagoya 01/08/1999)
For additional information cf. http://apng.edu.tw/taiwan/index.html
UK
- "National Grid for Learning" http://www.dfee.gov.uk/grid/index.html
  Strategy papers
- As part of the British government initiative 'Computers for All' (alltogether US$ 2.7 billion) 32,000 schools will be connected to the Internet by 2002. US$ 32 million shall be spent for teachers access from home. In each community computer learning centers are to be established.
  (cf. "UK Launches 'Computers For All' Programme" http://www.nua.ie/surveys/?f=VS&art_id=905354757&rel=true)
- Private initiative "UK NetYear"

NB: Notions of what a "networked school" is vary considerably.

Number of Children Online

Computer Economics estimates that 26.8 million youths under the age of 18 worldwide will have Internet access by 2001, and 77 million by 2005. (http://www.nua.ie/surveys/?f=VS&art_id=905354860&rel=true)

Irene Langner

Last modified: Mon Aug 2 18:12:55 CEST 1999