Cyprus Education Ministry in deal with Microsoft

The Ministry of Education and Culture of Cyprus and Microsoft have signed an agreement to implement a programme entitled “Partners in learning” that aims to further promote the use of the information and communication technology (ICT) in state schools.
Since 2003, 112 countries are participating in the programme and more than 170 mln students and 7 mln teachers have benefited.
The Minister of Education and Culture, Andreas Demetriou, said that the Ministry had been trying over the past years to supply teachers with the technological tools that would assist them in upgrading teaching methods in the classroom and offer students the skills needed in today's Technology and Information Society.
He said that Cyprus ranks second in the number of computers used at state schools at all levels of education, in relation to the number of students.
Demetriou also noted that all computers at public schools have broadband Internet access, the purchase of a laptop by second grade students is subsidised and seven schools operate a pilot programme on Internet Schooling.