Vision

The Vision of E-Learning Porirua is to reduce unemployment and substantially increase attainment levels in students in low decile schools within Porirua City. 

The Vision was born out of a visit by Graham Kelly, MP to Union City, USA where he looked at a similar scheme. Providing computers into schools dramatically increased attainment of students and subsequent employment.

Objectives

The objectives of the E-Learning Porirua are to:

• Improve literacy and attainment levels for children and parents
• Give greater ability for participants to obtain employment
• Result in reduced unemployment in our City
• Create Internet access to each home in Porirua City

Strategy

Our strategy will be achieved by substantially improving the ratio of computers to pupils in schools, to one computer to seven pupils and significantly extending the Computers in Homes pilot project recently run by the 20/20 Communications Trust, for the parents of Cannons Creek pupils.

A preliminary survey of the schools in Porirua East and Titahi Bay show that many schools have as little as one computer per classroom. Some schools have more, with computer suites of 5, 10 or 20 computers and a few have a higher ratio of computers per classroom.

In the homes, the difference between low-income households and others is startling:

• Whitby is estimated to have 80% of homes with a computer
• Porirua East has under 25%, but if Ranui Heights is excluded, the numbers are in single figures

The chances of these children and their parents from low income households of obtaining a satisfying job and a positive future in a modern technological world is low.

Summary

In summary the project will:

• Install new computers into schools at a ratio of one computer for each seven pupils spread over 3 years and to provide an upgrade path to the latest computer technology supplied by Sun Microsystems. The computers will be linked to a central server by fibre optic cable and wireless
• Install recycled computers into the homes of the parents of pupils from these schools, who do not have computers and who are either unemployed or in low skilled, low paid jobs
• Provide training for Teachers, Parents and Children and provide for specialist teaching between schools by video conferencing technology
• Provide Internet access to every household in Porirua City at a little or no cost