Second year students at the Berkeley Institute will have technology at their finger tips in September after the school unveiled a new laptop programme yesterday.

All students and teachers for the S2 year will be equipped with transportable, wireless computers to enable them to stay ahead of the technology game.

The laptops will be funded by the parents and the school, with Berkeley assuming 25 percent of the cost.

Purchasing plans have been set up to ensure there is no undue burden on any parent, and, at the end of the three-year period remaining at school, the ownership of the computers will be transferred to the students.

The school will underwrite all infrastructure development to support the initiative and it will also provide the necessary support services, maintenance and insurance.

The school believes the key benefits of the programme are:

Availability of a wider range of instructional options;

Incorporation of new technology into curriculum delivery;

More effective student and teacher collaboration over the school intranet and internet;

Greater portability for students; and

Wider access to cutting edge technology for public school students at competitive pricing levels.

Chairman of the school's board of governors Calvin White said under the first phase of the programme, the school would purchase and configure the 200 laptops for students and teachers, as well as set up the facilities, and provide training for teachers.

"This wireless laptop initiative is consistent with Berkeley's adoption of a set of core values that guide the school's development and enhance it position as a premier senior school," said Mr. White.

"These values serve as the framework for the delivery of educational programmes and teaching methods that ensure high standards of overall excellence in the public education arena. And for these reasons, we welcome and appreciate the support and encouragement from the Ministry of Education."

Education Minister Paula Cox attended the unveiling of the "bold" laptop programme.

She said: "It is without question that the one important goal is to ensure that students recognise the need to embrace new technology, which will greatly enhance their educational success and future opportunity.

"The Berkeley Institute wireless laptop programme is an important step toward achieving that goal.

"There is an abundance - some might say an over-abundance - of information available on the internet that students will want to draw from.

"There are wonderful opportunities for collaborative learning between students and between students and teachers. And there is the ability to cover the curriculum and get teachers' notes electronically, from a central repository of information. All of this will be possible with this new laptop initiative."

And she said the partnership between Berkeley and IBM Global deserved a special mention.

She added: "In my Ministry, we have a never-ending pursuit of excellence. Today, I stand alongside participants in and partners of public education pursuing that goal together."