Government launches e-learning consultation

A consultation process which will lead to a national strategy on e-learning was launched today by IT minister Austin Gatt and Education Minister Louis Galea.

Dr Galea said the education system needed to exploit the opportunities which new technology presented

"In this case we have no choice. We either move forward, or we will fall back. For our children to succeed and for education standards to continue to rise, we need to make the necessary changes as soon as possible. The pace of change is not dictated by some authority but by the IT revolution."

He observed that e-learning already formed part of the education reform which the governemnt launched some years ago. The Education Department had set up ICT education training centres, installed computers in all schools and created the necessary software for ICT to become a teaching tool that was as important as the white board was up to some time ago. This, however, was a process which had to continue to evolve.

Dr Gatt said the e-learning strategy had to be seen in the context of the new national IT strategy which would be unveiled in the coming weeks.

The e-learning strategy had to be based on three pillars: the infrastructure, skills and content.

The current infrastructure was being improved with new computers being installed in classrooms and dedicated broadband for all schools, he said. Skills development was of vital importance while, in the case of content, the government would be making an international call for the development of an e-learning platform according to realities in Malta.

He said the e-learning strategy should incorporate a roadmap leading the country for the next three years.