Technology
2. Technology laws, policies, plans and regulations
2.1. Education technology legislative and policy framework
2.2. Technology infrastructures, technological capacity of schools and learning environments
2.3. Technology competencies of learners and teachers
3.1. Institutions in charge of technology in education and coordination mechanisms
1. Terminology
The term information and communication technologies (ICTs) is used in many government documents, although no definition of the term is provided. Digital technology is defined in the 2022-27 Digital Strategy for Schools as “technologies that are used in educational settings for teaching, learning and assessment purposes. These can include but are not limited to: computing devices, networking/WiFi, projectors and interactive panels (sometimes referred to as hardware or equipment); educational software such as digital learning platforms and apps including those to develop computational thinking, coding, literacy and so on; technologies to support inclusion and differentiated learning including access to the curriculum; and services supporting a variety of activities including schools administration”.
There is no reference to the term education technology (EdTech) in policy, strategy or legal documents.
2. Technology laws, policies, plans and regulations
2.1. Education technology legislative and policy framework
Constitution and laws: There is no reference to technology or distance learning in the 1937 Constitution of Ireland (as amended in 2019) and 1998 Education Act (as amended in 2022). The 2002 Communications Regulations Act (as amended in 2022) includes provisions for universal services, which include electricity cable systems and the internet.
Policies, plans and strategies: The 2022-27 Digital Strategy for Schools outlines Ireland’s vision for the embedding of digital technologies in teaching, learning and assessment in primary and secondary schools. The Strategy outlines a programme of work across three main pillars: 1) the integration of digital technologies in teaching, learning and assessment; 2) digital technology infrastructure; and 3) policy, research and leadership. The stated vision of the strategy is to “empower schools to harness the opportunities of digital transformation to build digital competence and an effective digital education ecosystem so as to develop competent, critically engaged, active learners while supporting them to reach their potential and participate fully as global citizens in a digital world”. The strategy builds on the ambitions and achievements of the previous 2015-20 Digital Strategy for Schools, to embed ICT more deeply across the system and enhance the overall quality of Irish education.
The national digital strategy, Harnessing Digital: The Digital Ireland Framework, provides a framework to drive and enable the digital transition across the economy and society, including targets for the enhancement of digital skills, digital capacity, digital infastructure, and the digitalisation of public services (including the use of digital technology in schools). An overarching objective of the strategy is for Ireland to play a key role in Europe in advancing the new digital decade – the goal of which is the successful digital transformation of Europe by 2030.
The 2021 National Strategy on Artificial Intelligence (AI) considers how AI can be incorporated into future policy for digital learning, with a dedicated strand on ‘AI Education, Skills and Talent’.
Ireland’s National Skills Strategy 2025 (Ireland’s Future) similarly includes several education objectives.
The 2017-26 STEM Education Policy Statement is designed to equip students with analytical, creativity and critical thinking skills to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world, with the Department of Education working on the STEM Education Implementation Plan 2022–2026.
The 2019-21 Cumasú: Empowering through Learning: Statement of Strategy similarly aims to ensure the education system meets the current and future needs of learners participating in an economy, labour market and society being transformed by technology.
The 2019-24 National Cyber Security Strategy includes the cyber security of critical national infrastructure as a priority, with several education-specific objectives.
The 2021-23 Education Statement of Strategy proactively progresses the country’s digital education strategy through continued investment in schools’ broadband and ICT infrastructure to ensure that schools and students benefit from new technologies and gain important technical skills.
Connecting Government 2030: A Digital and ICT Strategy for Ireland’s Public Service sets out an approach to deliver digital government for all, benefitting both society and the broader economy.
Digital competency frameworks: Specific to the Irish context and a key support of the previous 2015-20 Digital Strategy for Schools was the development of the Digital Learning Framework (DLF), which is the result of the adaptation and localisation of the UNESCO ICT Competency Framework and other relevant European and international Digital Competency Frameworks. The DLF provides a common reference with descriptors of digital competence for teachers and school leaders, promoting innovative pedagogical approaches which embed the use of digital technologies.
The Department of Education and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth are also jointly developing the successor strategy to the 2011-20 National Strategy: Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life, which includes a renewed focus on digital competency standards.
Changes occurred as a result of COVID-19: Strategies to integrate digital technology in the education system, originally supported through the previous 2015-20 Digital Strategy for Schools, were accelerated due to the COVID-19 pandemic which highlighted the importance of having an education system “fit for the digital age”, which is present in the most recent 2022-27 Digital Strategy for Schools. According to the country’s recent digital education strategy, “it is vital that that the experiences and developments in responding to the challenges of the pandemic are built on for the future” to ensure that all learners have access to digital technologies, the use of digital technology becomes a core part of the education journey and skills, and teachers are further supported to embed the use of digital technologies in their classrooms to support all learners in a safe, responsible and ethical way.
The 2021-23 Education Statement of Strategy similarly highlights how the potential and importance of digital learning and use of digital technologies in education have come into sharper focus in light of events surrounding COVID-19. For this reason, €100 million in ICT funding was provided during 2020 to facilitate schools to develop their ICT capacity and to support students at risk of being negatively impacted by a digital divide. Ireland’s response to the increased digitalisation needs is also supported by the Harnessing Digital: The Digital Ireland Framework.
2.2. Technology infrastructures, technological capacity of schools and learning environments
2.2.1. Technology infrastructure and digital capacity of schools
Significant investment was made in building digital technology infrastructure in schools under the previous 2015-20 Digital Strategy for Schools, which was further built on in the most recent 2022-27 Digital Strategy for Schools. Funding is issued directly to schools, which are considered best placed to determine their own infrastructural requirements. Schools are expected to put in place Digital Learning Plans (DLPs) and align their ICT grant expenditure with their DLPs. Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) schools received an enhanced allocation under the ICT grant scheme in recognition of the additional challenges to support those learners most at risk of educational disadvantage.
Electricity: Universal access to electricity cable systems is included as part of the universal service provisions in the 2002 Communications Regulations Act (as amended in 2022), with electricity included under the definition of ‘electronic communications network’.
The 2008 Construction Guidelines and Standards For Schools are part of a suite of DES Technical Guidance Documents for primary and post Primary schools which includes the 2004 Mechanical & Electrical Building Services Engineering Guidelines For Primary School Buildings. The standards apply to all primary and post-primary construction projects funded in part or in whole by the DES. The 2004 Mechanical & Electrical Building Services Engineering Guidelines For Primary School Buildings (which schools must comply with in the design of new schools and the refurbishment of mechanical and electrical services) state that electrical services installation in schools shall comprise Electrical Supply, Electricity Centre and Main Distribution, Power Distribution Services, Lighting Services, Communication Services, Transport Services and Protective Services. The supply to the building is taken from the national grid. The 2020 Energy Conservation and Mechanical and Electrical Building Services Design Note additionally includes provisions for the installation of Electrical Vehicle Supply Equipment in compliance with the 2017 Building Regulations.
The 2022-27 Digital Strategy for Schools does not explicitly refer to electricity, but aims to incorporate connectivity in schools (which includes both broadband services to schools and network infrastructure within schools). In 2021, following a competitive process, under the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) Framework for the Provision of Electricity Supply to Public Sector Bodies in Ireland, Electric Ireland was chosen to supply electricity to approximately 1,500 primary and secondary schools across Ireland as part of three-year contract.
Computers and devices: The 2022-27 Digital Strategy for Schools supports the embedding of digital technologies (including computing devices and educational software such as digital learning platforms and apps) in teaching, learning and assessment. The strategy additionally aims to establish sustainable funding mechanisms for the purchase and maintenance of digital technology infrastructure in schools and provide procurement mechanisms for schools, which will assist schools in the purchase of equipment.
Schools are also supported in developing various digital policies such as ‘bring your own device’ (BYOD), ‘one-to-one device’ and other possible approaches as part of the 2022-27 Digital Strategy for Schools, highlighting key requirements and considerations such as consultation with the wider school community, access and support for all learners, and alignment with their DLP. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is also supported in the Circular No 0074/2020, which allows students to bring their own devices, especially tablets and other suitable personal devices, into classrooms to support learning outcomes. According to the previous 2015-20 Digital Strategy for Schools, which introduced a grant scheme for the purchace of digital equipment by schools, an increasing number of schools had initiated 1:1 programmes where every student in a particular year had access to a laptop or tablet device, while many more schools had actively been considering it for the future. The previous strategy aimed to develop guidance for schools that wish to develop BYOD approaches, which should be supported by best practice videos, case-studies and advice on devices and pedagogical approaches.
The 2021-23 Education Statement of Strategy similarly supports increasing access to digital technology devices for schools, including assistive technology for both mainstream and special schools as part of the Assistive Technology Support scheme. ICT grant funding was also deployed to schools as part of the Harnessing Digital: The Digital Ireland Framework to enable schools to support learners through the provision of devices and software, in addition to a programme providing laptops for 20,000 disadvantaged students in Further and Higher Education.
Internet connectivity: Internet connectivity is included as part of the universal service provisions in the 2002 Communications Regulations Act (as amended in 2022), which includes the internet as part of its definition of ‘electronic communication network’.
The 2022-27 Digital Strategy for Schools commits to ensure that all schools are served with high speed broadband connectivity, with a specific target for all primary schools to have minimum connection speeds of 100 Mbps or greater by 2023. In addition, the Department funds the Schools Broadband Programme at an annual cost of €13m to provide broadband connectivity to schools. Maintaining and building on the minimum levels of connectivity (200 Mbps or greater postprimary, 100 Mbps or greater primary) is a key deliverable under the digital education strategy and will facilitate further equity of access in relation to broadband connectivity to ensure that all schools regardless of location, size or sector will have access to high speed broadband provision. The previous 2015-20 Digital Strategy for Schools distributed €13 million in funds annually towards broadband connectivity in schools.
Ireland’s overall digital connectivity target is to ensure that all Irish households and businesses are covered by a Gigabit network service no later than 2028, with all populated areas covered by 5G by no later than 2030.The Harnessing Digital: The Digital Ireland Framework, which introduces a Universal Service Obligation for broadband, specifically supports the provision of digital connectivity to all schools by 2023. Specific objectives include the provision of high-speed broadband connectivity to up to 1,100 primary schools through the Schools Broadband Programme and ICT grant funding to enable schools to support learners through the provision of connectivity. These targets form part of a €64 million programme for digital infrastructure for schools.
The 2020 National Broadband Plan is the government’s initiative to deliver high speed broadband services to all premises in Ireland, including schools. The 2021-23 Education Statement of Strategy similarly aims to narrow the digital divide by increasing access to broadband for schools
2.2.2. Technology and learning environments
Enhancing the use of remote learning and e-learning in the classroom was supported in the previous 2015-20 Digital Strategy for Schools, through its implementation plan. The 2021 National Strategy on Artificial Intelligence (AI) additionally states that AI-based educational tools can enable distance education for children in remote regions.
All schools were required to have a learning and communication platform in place in the event of a partial or full school closure in accordance with the Circular No 0074/2020, which was published as a response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Where practicable, the platform was expected to facilitate some use of live or recorded video lessons. In developing contingency arrangements for remote learning, schools were additionally expected to align with their digital learning plans and learn from the approaches adopted to facilitate ongoing teaching and learning in the future (with long-term objectives for sustainability). The Department of Education and Skills (DES) additionally published the 2020 Guidance on continuity of schooling for primary and post-primary schools, which specified that schools can use online tools, apps, televised learning opportunities and local community radio for learning continuity purposes. The Professional Development Service for Teachers created a short course aimed at helping teachers with online learning, while Scoilnet (the official education portal of the DES) provided access to a wide variety of resources and information. Special education teachers were encouraged to send packages of supports to parents and guardians and engage with their students through e-mail and online video communication apps.
2.3. Technology competencies of learners and teachers
2.3.1. Learners
The 2020 Draft Primary Curriculum Framework outlines ‘being a digital learner’ as one of seven key competencies intended to be embedded in learning outcomes across all curriculum areas and subjects from junior infants to grade 6. This draft framework also proposes that digital technology would become part of the curriculum area of Mathematics, Science and Technology, aiming to empower children to be active digital citizens and to develop their responsible, safe and ethical use of digital technology. The focus of the 2011-20 National Strategy: Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life was to raise the standards of teaching and learning in literacy (including digital literacy and numeracy) from early years to post-primary. The development of a new Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy Strategy for all learners is underway to fulfil the Government’s determination that all young people will leave school with the digital skills required for everyday life and further studies.
The previous 2015-20 Digital Strategy for Schools revised school curricula to ensure a focus on the development of digital literacy skills and competencies. The 2022-27 Digital Strategy for Schools similarly aims to equip all learners with the necessary skills required to navigate a digital world, with an additional focus on online safety and the ethical use of digital technologies.The curriculum has been reformed to ensure that young people are equipped with the digital skills and literacy required to participate fully in society, as part of the Harnessing Digital: The Digital Ireland Framework.Specific targets of the strategy aim to increase the number of graduates with higher-level digital skills to over 12,400 by end-2022 and increase the share of adults with at least basic digital skills to 80% by 2030. Digital skills must be meta t all levels, including High-Level Digital Skills, Digital Skills for the Labour Market, and Digital Skills for Society.
The 2021 National Strategy on Artificial Intelligence (AI) aims to build digital skills for AI as part of the education curriculum, supporting the provision of digital, technical and complementary skills at all education levels. The School Excellence Funds for Digital and STEM provide some €1 million funding to schools working in clusters on innovative projects using digital technologies in teaching and learning, some of which include the use of robotics and coding.
The 2017-26 STEM Education Policy Statement aims to enhance STEM learning for all learners, with a particular focus on addressing the gender gap in the uptake of STEM subjects and increasing participation in STEM by females. The plan is generally designed to equip students with analytical, creativity and critical thinking skills to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world.
Cybersecurity and computer science education in schools and colleges is supported by the 2019-24 National Cyber Security Strategy as part of the Smart Futures Programme.
2.3.2. Teachers
Both the previous 2015-20 Digital Strategy for Schools and current 2022-27 Digital Strategy for Schools support embedding the appropriate and effective use of digital technologies for teaching, learning and assessment at each stage of the continuum of teacher education, from Initial Teacher Education and Induction to Continuing Professional Development. According to these strategies, professional digital competence refers to both the ability to use digital technologies and the use of digital technologies to enhance classroom practice. Teachers should be supported to use their digital competence to design learning environments that enable learners to become competent and confident digital learners. The most recent strategy additionally emphasizes online safety and the ethical use of digital technologies as a key component within teacher professional learning. The 2022 Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying similarly encourages online courses on cyberbullying to provide school staff with the knowledge, resources, and confidence needed to teach about cyberbullying and also to deal with cyberbullying incidents as they arise.
The Teaching Council have included the development of digital skills for pre-service teachers as a key component of their revised Standards for Initial Teacher Education (ITE) Programme, Céim, which was published in 2020. All new primary and post-primary ITE programmes submitted to the Teaching Council for accreditation must now be in alignment with Céim. Separately, the DES issued the Guiding Framework for Pre-Service Teachers’ Professional Digital Competence which highlights the range of knowledge and skills required by pre-service teachers to develop professional digital competencies so that they can effectively use digital technologies in teaching and learning. The Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) team continue to provide tailored professional learning programmes for school leaders at all stages of their careers, which are designed to build digital competence and effectively embed digital technologies in teaching, learning and assessment.
The TPACK model, which considers Technological knowledge (TK), Pedagogical knowledge (PK), and Content knowledge (CK) is additionally used to inform teacher professional learning to support all teachers to ensure the use of digital technologies becomes embedded in their practice. Meanwhile, the SELFIEforTeachers tool is another online tool developed by the EU, which helps teachers reflect on how they are using digital technologies in their professional practice and can be used by the Digital Learning team and individual teachers to identify professional learning needs in relation to digital technologies. Ireland was one of five EU countries where this was piloted in 2021.
The 2021-23 Education Statement of Strategy similarly aims to support the education workforce in strengthening the use of ICT in teaching, learning and assessment.
2.4. Cybersecurity and safety
2.4.1. Data privacy
The 2018 Data Protection Act explicitly includes recognized schools as part of its definition of a ‘public authority’ for which the Act applies. Public authorities are prohibited from disclosing confidential information unless required or permitted by law or for the purposes of facilitating cooperation between the Commission and such authority in the performance of their respective functions (Article 26). The Act additionally stipulates that the Minister may make regulations where necessary in relation to personal data kept for, or obtained in the course of carrying out of social work by a public authority (Article 60). The 2000 Education (Welfare) Act permits the supply of data relating to a person’s educational history to certain persons (Article 28).
The 2022-27 Digital Strategy for Schools has a dedicated section on Data Protection and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for Schools, with the Department’s School Governance section supporting school management bodies in the provision of bespoke advice, which is available online for schools on all relevant aspects of data protection legislation, to support them to comply with all requirements. The previous 2015-20 Digital Strategy for Schools similarly provided for the development of guidance for schools on data security and privacy. There is a website which serves as an information resource for schools to support the ongoing development of data protection policies. The protection of public service held data is also provided in the Harnessing Digital: The Digital Ireland Framework.
2.4.2. Online abuse and cyberbullying
The 2022 Online Safety and Media Regulation Act modernises the regulation of the media ecosystem in Ireland and lays the foundations for the new regulatory frontier of online safety which will be of great importance to protecting children online. There is no explicit reference to schools, although the 2022-27 Digital Strategy for Schools states that this Act “will inform the development of further resources for schools and families”, while supports will be developed to advise schools on its enactment. Moreover, according to Circular No 0074/2020 child protection policies should be reviewed and, if necessary, updated to take account of teaching and learning in a remote learning environment.
The 2022-27 Digital Strategy for Schools provides for the safe and ethical use of the internet and digital technologies in teaching, learning and assessment, with explicit reference to cyberbullying (also referenced in the previous 2015-20 Digital Strategy for Schools). There are extensive professional learning opportunities and curricular supports available to schools to assist them in the development of policies and practices on the safe use of the internet including on the prevention of bullying, including cyberbullying, and harassment. These include the Social Personal Health Education (SPHE) curriculum and the junior cycle Digital Media Literacy short course, the PDST, the Webwise Programme and the Department funded national antibullying website
The 2022 Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying includes provisions for cyberbullying, stating that anti-bullying procedures for primary and and postprimary schools will be updated to take account of gender identity bullying, cyberbullying, racist bullying, sexist bullying, and sexual harassment. These procedures should also provide guidance as to when an incidentof bullying becomes a child protection concern, ensure appropriate oversight at school level, and ensure that a school’s antibullying policy is developed and reviewed in consultation with the whole school community. The Department of Education is responsible for developing mandatory antibullying template documents to assist schools in developing and implementing their antibullying procedures. Schools are required to ensure that their Antibullying Policy is accessible and available to the whole school community.
The 2017 Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools include provisions for cyberbullying.
The government additionally operates the website Webwise, which is a national internet safety initiative co-funded by the Department of Education and Skill (DES) and operated by the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) Technology in Education. Webwise promotes the autonomous, effective, and safer use of the internet by young people through a sustained information and awareness strategy targeting parents, teachers, and children themselves with consistent and relevant messages including guidance on acceptable usage in schools.
3. Governance
3.1. Institutions in charge of technology in education and coordination mechanisms
The Department of Education and Skills (DES) leads on schools policy development in the area of digital technologies in teaching, learning and assessment including online safety. The implementation of the digital education strategy specifically falls under the responsibility of the ICT Policy Unit in the Department. The development and execution of the Implementation Plan is led by an internal Digital Strategy Steering Group which involves ongoing engagement with relevant education partners and other key stakeholders.
The DES works closely with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications for the provision of broadband services to schools, while the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) collaborates with the Office of Government Procurement (OGP), the Schools Procurement Unit (SPU), the Education Procurement Service (EPS) and the Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI) and other stakeholders as necessary, to put in place an appropriate procurement mechanism for schools.
The Schools Procurement Unit (SPU) supports all schools in procurement matters, helping schools access centralised frameworks in line with the Government’s policy on the need to ensure that public sector bodies secure best value for money in legally compliant procurement activity. The Office of Government Procurement (OGP) provides frameworks for the purchase of equipment such as printers, desktop PCs, and notebooks, which provide schools with the advantages of bulk-purchasing and help them make better decisions in terms of equipment specification and total cost of ownership. The SPU has also published the a Guidance for Schools on Good Procurement Practices. The Office of Government Procurement (OGP), in close consultation with the Department of Education and Skills (DES) and the School Procurement Unit (SPU) supplies electricity to schools as part of Electric Ireland. Electric Ireland aims to supply 100% renewable electricity to all the schools covered under the contract.
The National Cyber Security Centre is the central cyber security authority in the State, while the Data Protection Commission is the national independent authority responsible for upholding the fundamental right of individuals in the EU to have their personal data protected.
3.2. Roles of schools
The Digital Learning Framework has been developed to assist schools in effectively embedding digital technologies into teaching and learning. It provides clarity for school leaders and education providers in how to create a shared vision for how technology can best can meet the needs of all learners. This includes the Digital Learning Framework and Digital Learning Planning Guidelines for Primary Schools and the Digital Learning Framework and Digital Learning Planning Guidelines for Post Primary Schools.
School boards of management are responsible for the welfare and safety of students under their care and are required to have a range of policies in place including policies on the safe and ethical use of technologies, antibullying and a code of behaviour. The board is also responsible for ensuring that the curriculum provided meets the academic as well as developmental needs of its students
All schools are additionally advised to have an Acceptable Usage Policy (AUP) in place, which governs students’ use of digital technologies in schools and covers a wide range of issues surrounding the rights, responsibilities and privileges connected with the use of technologies. The school’s AUP details acceptable use of Internet enabled devices, mobile phones and related devices in the school. This policy must be agreed and signed by pupils/students and their parents/guardians. Individual schools therefore make the decision of banning or restricting smartphone use, including the enactment of phone-free policies.
The Education (Digital Devices in Schools) Bill (which lapsed as of 2020) was proposed in 2018 to regulate the use of digital devices in primary and secondary schools. According to this Bill, student possession of digital devices would be prohibited during school hours for the purposes of reducing the harmful impact on academic performance and the social and emotional wellbeing of children.
