Education Minister, Leighton Andrews, today visited Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw in Torfaen to officially open the school’s new plaza, which benefits from the world’s most cutting edge and innovative classroom technology.
With the investment of £900,000 of Welsh Assembly Government funding, Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw has created a state-of-the-art learning plaza, named Talwrn Technoleg, and is the first Welsh language school to benefit from such advanced classroom technology.
The plaza features wireless laptops, TV broadcast production and streaming, group and individual working areas, interactive video conferencing, web cams, touch surface technology and break out spaces.
The plaza will help develop new ways of teaching and learning, by allowing pupils to work on projects, programmes and ‘businesses’ with other young people in school, in Torfaen, and across the world, via in-built video conferencing facilities.
The Talwrn Technoleg will also be used as a training facility for Welsh-medium teachers in and around Torfaen, as part of the continued collaborative approach to Welsh-medium education.
The new facilities support the Welsh Assembly Government’s 21st Century Schools programme – a long-term investment to ensure schools are fit for purpose and provide engaging learning environments for pupils, teachers and the wider community.
Leighton Andrews said:
“The Welsh Assembly Government is committed to ensuring that every child in Wales is educated in an environment fit for learning for the 21st Century.
“This commitment is reflected in an investment of £900,000 for this learning plaza, which will provide, through the medium of Welsh, a leading edge learning experience for the pupils at Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw, as well as providing facilities to train teachers and support staff to develop and deliver technology rich learning.”
Jocelyn Davies, Deputy Minister for Housing and Regeneration said:
“The facilities at Gwynllyw are an excellent example of how the Heads of the Valleys Regeneration Area is helping to enrich the educational experience for pupils across the area. IT skills are so important in today’s economy so I am delighted we are able to give the pupils in Gwynllyw a head start with this state of the art equipment.”
Councillor Bob Wellington, leader of Torfaen council, said:
“With computer and digital technologies playing an ever increasing role in everyone’s lives, we are committed to ensuring Torfaen children have access to the latest technology in schools from the earliest age.
“By investing in our children’s digital learning skills today we can ensure Torfaen and Wales can reap the economic benefits of the technology and industries of the future.”
