The Digital Strategy for Schools provides a rationale and a Government action plan for integrating ICT into teaching, learning and assessment practices in schools over the next five years. This Strategy builds on previous strategies in the area of ICT integration and it takes cognisance of current education reforms that are already underway within the education system at primary and post- primary level. This Strategy focuses on the schools’ sector and the proposed actions are designed to embed ICT more deeply across the system to enhance the overall quality of Irish education. Care has been taken, in developing the Strategy, to ensure that the actions align with and complement strategies and initiatives to support digital learning in the further education and higher education sectors.

In developing this Strategy, the Department adopted an evidence-based approach. A Census Report was initially conducted to provide base-line data on the levels and usage of ICT by teachers and schools. Arising from this research a consultative paper, Building Towards a Learning Society: A National Digital Strategy for Schools (2013), was published and its publication coincided with the launch of a public consultation phase. One hundred and twenty-four (124) submissions were received from various organisations and individuals on the content of the consultative paper and these views were further augmented by face-to-face meetings with a number of stakeholder groups. The feedback and views from this phase were subsequently combined with international research on the integration of ICT to formulate the Strategy. The voice of the young people is reflected in the Strategy.