Microsoft Innovative Schools Program launches across CEE region, 15 January 2008

Microsoft announces additional investment in ICT education in CEE and launches Innovative Schools Program as part of its global Partners in Learning network.

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News Advisory

Launch of The Innovative Schools Program, Latvia and Romania to Join

Microsoft Corp. announced in January 2008 a series of high level strategic agreements and technology demonstrations showcasing the breadth of its efforts to help open up access to a quality education for all. These announcements took place at British Education Technology and Training Show (BETT) and were particularly important for the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region, underscoring Microsoft’s strong resolve to help improve education through technology adoption in the CEE region.

Continued Investment
The CEE region will benefit from Microsoft’s continuing investment in education, with the announcement it intends upon investing USD$25 million. Microsoft will also make an additional significant contribution in people, software and know-how over next 5 years in CEE in its Partners in Learning program.

“We are growing and scaling our Innovative Schools Programme to reach a broad number of schools around the world,” said James Bernard, Director, Partners in Learning, Worldwide Public Sector, Microsoft. “We are expanding this program massively to make it the largest program of its kind in the world. In the next five years, we hope to reach 72,000 schools around the world and we are also starting an engagement on a deeper level with 350 schools which we are calling developer schools that will partially serve as mentors.

Partners in Learning in the Central Eastern Europe region
“We use technology to have better contact with parents who observe how their children learn,“ said Andrzej Wałęsa, Director, Gimnazjum im. F. Szołdrskiego w Nowym Tomyślu (gymnasium). “We won a competition organised by Microsoft and the Ministry of Education where we presented our innovative use of IT in our school.”

“The goal is to teach the other teachers how to use ICT in education,“ said Eva Wagner, Teacher, Deák Diák Primary School. “Learning is a competition and it’s important that her students have the knowledge of IT which may give them an advantage over others and that they will develop IT skills which is very important for the younger generation.”

“Since independence 15 years ago, education in Azerbaijan has changed. We’re trying to move from a former Soviet style of education to the new Western European system,” said Samir Mammadov, Director, Ministry of Education. “We have a program on introducing ICT to education where the main goal is, by the means of ICT, to improve the education in the country. The main challenge is the application of ICT in the classroom. Innovative Teachers and Innovative Schools networks provide a lot of helpful, interesting programs which we can take the teachers to see and participate in.”

“We have to train our staff in ICT issues and we believe our school will benefit a lot from our partnership with Microsoft,” said Evangelos Pagkratis, Deputy Director, Haef-Psychico College.

Launch of the Innovative Schools Programme
At the event, leading thinkers, policymakers, administrators and school principals, including many key participants from the CEE region, will gather to discuss the latest findings from Microsoft’s Innovative Schools pilot program. Under the initiative, Microsoft has been working with educators on the ground across a diverse cross-section of 12 local schools in 12 countries to pilot cutting-edge applications of technology and pioneer ICT-enabled instructional innovations. The goal is to identify replicable, cost-effective models of educational excellence that can be scaled up, providing a blueprint for the transformation of school systems worldwide.

The Innovative Schools Program forms part of Microsoft’s comprehensive Partners in Learning initiative, designed to promote the advances in professional development, instructional practice and technology access needed for educational transformation. Complementing the Innovative Schools Program, the Innovative Teachers Network allows teachers from 81 countries to join virtual communities of their peers to share best practice, spread smart ideas and provide mutual support; while the Innovative Students Program promotes access to the latest digital technology for kids in the classroom.

“The Innovative Schools Programme started with demand from countries and several projects grew from this in certain areas such as Taiwan, Australia and UK,” said Kati Tuurala, Director Innovative Schools Programme, Worldwide Public Sector, Microsoft. “It was the success of these programs that lead to the integration of the whole teacher community to think about the role of ICT in education or more importantly, what are the 21st century skills needed by students and how the everyday practices in teaching could address these. With the increased predominance of IT replacing traditional skills such as manufacturing, the key consideration for many ministries is what their education policy should be in these circumstances.”

Latvia and Romania announce their intention to join the Innovative Schools Program
Microsoft’s Innovative Schools Program will be further bolstered by the addition of two key CEE countries, Latvia and Romania, who announced at BETT 2008 their intention to join the program.

Latvia
"Education is an area set for significant change in 2009 in Latvia," said Aina Berce, Director of Ogre Gymnasium, Founder of National Innovative Teachers Forum in Latvia of the Latvia delegation. "Working with Microsoft closely will enable us to prepare the right information and training for our teachers to be able to deliver information technology classes in schools, ensuring we are providing the next generation with the skills they need to enter the workforce. At a time when we are all facing a global economic slowdown, investing in the future of our workforce is a key concern for us - we want to build the future of our country through the people who will drive new business, new industries and help our economy to remain resilient."

“It’s about creating that sense of urgency that children should be taught not ICT per se but that technology should be ubiquitous in the schools. It should become a tool that they use as individuals 24/7,” said Zane Olina, CEO of influential NGO working with teachers and leaders.

Romania
“A small percentage of teachers in my school use modern technologies and innovation in the teaching and learning process. They are afraid to be innovative because they have no mentor and have no know-how on how to become innovative. In return, the percentage of students willing to study in a modern school is huge. One of the few innovative teachers in my school is guiding others by saying to them: jump in and do it. I want my school to become an innovative school. I need the know-how and mentoring to increase the percentage of teachers using modern technology in the classroom and help them to pass through to the “shock of the future”. I am confident that once they have overcome the initial shock, the teachers will be able to improve how they teach students to become generations of better integrated graduates who will confidently contribute to the knowledge society,” said Dana Bobocea, Deputy Principal of Grigore Moisil Theoretical High School, Bucharest, Romania, of the Romanian delegation.

Microsoft
Mark East, Managing Director, Education Division (International) Microsoft Corporation believes, “Technology has become a part of everyday life, it is ubiquitous and Microsoft has the responsibility as a leader in technology to ensure that users have access to improve their ability to use that ICT not just at home but also in the workplace. With the move away from traditional skillsets such as manufacturing, graduates today need to be trained to use technologies which will help them to contribute to their country’s overall economy. We deliver our Innovation Schools Programme because we recognise that technology has a key role in education in that it opens the eyes of our children to show them the possibilities, encourage innovation, and provides access to these critical 21st century skills. This programme will also provide teachers with the expertise they need to engage students with technology. It will allow teachers to interact and inspire each other to innovate, ultimately delivering best practice.”

Additional Information:
If you would be interested in speaking to representatives from Latvia or Romania about their involvement in the programme, please contact:
Stephanie Kane
Weber Shandwick PR for Microsoft
T: +44(0) 20 7067 0530
M: +44 44 (0) 7720 840640
skane@webershandwick.com

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