6 April 1995 (C22/95)
The Federal Government has approved the establishment of the Australian Education Network (AEN) to put education and training on the information superhighway.
"For the first time Australia will have a network which will link all schools.TAFEs and universities and other education and training providers across the nation, as well as internationally through a service network and modern technology for interactive communication,"the Minister for Employment, Education and Training, Simon Crean said today.
The network will also provide a publishing platform and a market for Australian education and information technology products.
The establishment of the AEN will have major advantages in ensuring affordable tariffs for network users.
By developing a network for the Australian education and training system we can ensure that the content is based on Australian educational services materials and facilities.
The first phase of the national network, which will start this year, will develop a directory of educational services and an interactive electronic message system that can be accessed at affordable rates by students and teachers from education institutions and the home, regardless of location.
The national network will evolve as potential users gain access and as more educational material becomes available.
Mr Crean said the network will provide an over-arching structure which will encompass or support existing developments in the education sector. The official launch of the open learning electronic service, Open Net, next month will be the first step in achieving this national network.
"The Government will ensure the AEN converges with existing initiatives such as Open Net and Co-operative Multimedia Centres. This will strengthen Australian education and training software development and distance and open learning teaching techniques ensuring they are brought together to develop integrated products for the network.Mr Crean said.
"Consultations with States and Territories and the education community will begin immediately to develop a national collaborative approach to network development,"
Through the combined purchasing power of those seeking to access the system we can develop significant advantages in the reception infrastructure, eg computers. This will benefit individual users and clients.
A key aim of the network will be to ensure that Australian students and teachers are equipped to participate effectively in the electronic age regardless of their location or socio-economic status.
"It is in the national interest to ensure that our education and training institutions are effectively linked through the most up-to-date communications infrastructure so that students and teachers in all education sectors can share and disseminate information, both within Australia and globally, at affordable rates,"the Minister said.
Mr Crean said the national network would also stimulate a culture of innovation in the production, distribution of educational material l mainly for domestic use with spin-offs for export markets.
The directory of educational services which will be developed this year might include a list of all the services available on the national network, a tutorial program on how to use the network, library catalogue services, registers of courses and curriculum and professional development products.
Mr Crean added that a national network would also add impetus to national collaboration on issues such as curriculum frameworks and the Australian Vocational Training System.
In addition, the education and training network strategy can make a very significant contribution to the development potential of the IT industry and education providers as a whole.
Media Contact:
Wayne Gibbons, Department of Employment Education and Training
Telephone: (06) 2408179 or (018) 621878.
Catherine Payne, Mr Crean's Office
Telephone: (06) 2777460.
Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600
Telephone: (06) 2777460,
Facsimile: (06) 2734117
Canberra, 6 April 1995