More schools to receive network upgrades

&NewLine;<p><img class&equals;" alignright size-full wp-image-318" style&equals;"margin&colon; 5px&semi; float&colon; right&semi;" src&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;schoolnewsnz&period;fastrackdev&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2012&sol;03&sol;SN16-NetworkUpgrade&period;jpg" alt&equals;"SN16-NetworkUpgrade" width&equals;"200" height&equals;"150" &sol;>The Minister of Education&comma; Hekia Parata&comma; has confirmed the next 150 schools to receive government-subsidised internal network upgrades&comma;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p> <&excl;--more--> <&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>in readiness for ultra-fast broadband&period; Her announcement came just before Christmas&comma; also saying that more schools would be informed of their upgrading early this year&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The Ministry of Education&&num;8217&semi;s School Network Upgrade Project &lpar;SNUP&rpar; has so far upgraded networks in more than 700 state and state integrated schools with more in progress&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Ms Parata said that with the majority of schools having now registered their interest in the project&comma; the criteria for selection for SNUP has been updated to give greater priority to schools where fibre connection is imminent&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;This approach is a key part of ensuring that the Government&&num;8217&semi;s significant investment in providing 97&period;7 per cent of schools with ultra-fast broadband access delivers the expected benefits for our young people&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>In line with education priorities&comma; the revised selection criteria also place greater emphasis on schools with high numbers of M&amacr;ori&comma; Pasifika and special needs students&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Ms Parata said that&comma; to keep pace with the fibre rollout&comma; schools will be selected for SNUP in smaller groups more frequently and that the next group of schools to be upgraded will be announced in early 2012&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;