Eastern Townships School Board deepens its bonds with
Uruguay’s Ministry of Education and Culture
MAGOG, October 2, 2008 – The Eastern Townships School Board (ETSB) is pleased to
announce a partnership agreement with Uruguay’s Ministry of Education and Culture to
collaborate with the “Proyecto Ceibal”, initiative that will provide in the said country all
elementary and high school students with laptop computers. The ETSB will share its expertise on
the successful integration of laptop computers into the classroom. For its part, the ETSB hopes to
learn the best practices of the Uruguayan teachers in using information technologies in
community development. Furthermore, it also hopes to benefit from Uruguay’s experience with
the XO portable computer, designed for the One Laptop per Child project (www.laptop.org), in
the event it decides to make use of these computers in the future. The agreement will also include
cultural exchanges for both educators and students.
From September 29th to October 3rd, the Eastern Townships School Board welcomed a
delegation of five educators from Uruguay accompanied by the Ambassador of Uruguay to
Canada. The delegates from Uruguay visited the ETSB schools to become familiar with the
School Board’s approach in integrating technology in the classroom.
“We are pleased to be helping other communities overcome challenges of the 21st century in
education,” said ETSB Director General Ronald Canuel. “It is exciting for us to be able to share
the unique expertise we have gained in using technology to improve learning. At the same time,
the community development knowledge of Uruguay’s educators will greatly benefit us. I am
confident that this partnership will be a very enriching experience for both parties.”
Likewise, Ambassador of Uruguay to Canada H.E. Alvaro Moerzinger added: “The significant
experience that the ETSB has accumulated in the use of information technology in the
classroom, can be of great utility to the “Plan Ceibal”, project which has made Uruguay the first
country in the world to facilitate a computer to each primary and secondary student at a public
institution. In such sense, we celebrate and thank the generous welcome offered to the visiting
teachers from Uruguay, who have enjoyed in situ the accumulated knowledge of ETSB, which
exerts a well earned leadership in the international context.”
As a Canadian pioneer in integrating new information and communications technologies in the
field of education, the ETSB implemented its Enhanced Learning Strategy (ELS) in 2003. This
innovative initiative had three main objectives: to facilitate higher student academic
achievement; to empower educators in the development and implementation of curriculum; and
to provide a flexible and accessible technology-based educational solution that engages students
and fires their imaginations to strive for excellence. Current results demonstrate that student
performance in reading and writing has improved, while school absenteeism and behaviour
problems have decreased substantially.
- 30 –
-
The Ambassador of Uruguay to Canada H.E. Alvaro Moerzinger and ETSB Director
General Ronald Canuel will be available for interviews on Friday morning, October 3rd.
Also, a delegation of five educators from Uruguay will be visiting the Pope Memorial
Elementary School (523 Stokes, Bury 819-872-3771) at 10:30 am on Thursday the 2nd.
Source: Eastern Townships School Board (www.etsb.qc.ca)
Information: Sharon Priest
priests@etsb.qc.ca
819-868-3140
Media relations officer: Roch Bilodeau
Phare Communications
rbilodeau@pharecom.c
819-347-7622