Upper Austria. Since the corona pandemic, the everyday life of many people has been increasingly shaped by the digital world. This is also reflected in schools. They can register for the “Digital School” project until the end of January, inform Christine Haberlander and Werner Schlögelhofer from the Education Directorate.
The corona pandemic is making digitization an ever larger part of everyday education. “We all have a common goal: to make Upper Austria strong again. Strengthening Upper Austria for the future now means giving young people opportunities right now to prepare for their future and to develop their talents. That is why we think of education in terms of vital opportunities instead of rigid systems. We are open to modern pedagogical concepts and see schools as not just learning institutions – but spaces for experience and knowledge. We see digitization as an opportunity first – not the threat. In order to continue the good path of the past years in Upper Austria, we are equipping the schools with digital end devices together with the federal government, ”says Deputy Governor and Regional Education Councilor Christine Haberlander (ÖVP).
The project steps in detail
The “8 point plan for digitization” is currently being implemented in Upper Austria. The first step was to standardize the learning and communication platforms at the school site. Now the students are equipped with mobile devices. In the school year 2021/2022, the output of digital devices is planned in the 5th and 6th grade, from the school year 2022/23 in the 5th grade.
Schools can register to take part in the “Digital School” project until the end of January. A total of 288 middle schools and lower AHS schools have the opportunity to do so in Upper Austria. So far, around 85 percent of schools have given feedback. “Currently 236 schools – that is 82 percent of the schools that have already re-registered – have announced their participation in the project. This number can of course increase by the end of January ”, says Werner Schlögelhofer, head of the“ Digital Education ”working group in the Upper Austria Education Directorate. These schools have a total of 41,125 students. The ministry is investing 250 million euros in the project, the goal of which is to anchor digital learning in all schools by 2024.
–
