It’s time to celebrate as we have managed to blast through the targets set both by the Ministry of Education and ourselves with 700 schools now connected to the Managed Network! This means that the target of 700 schools, which was initially set to be reached by the end of 2014, has been met well before that date.

Our CEO, John Hanna, has credited the steady rollout to the big demand from schools keen to increase the use of digital technologies in the classroom. This and the close work done within the education sector alongside local technology companies is ensuring a smooth transition to the Managed Network, he believes. “While we are proud of our achievement to date, it’s the teachers who are the real champions here. They want the best for their students and their support and enthusiasm have been instrumental in driving the use of the Managed Network for student learning.”

As a result of reaching this target early, we are setting ourselves a stretch goal of connecting 1000 schools before the end of the year to further support the great work being done in classrooms all over the country.

The diversity in the 700 schools connected to the Managed Network reflects the range of schools across New Zealand. From large urban schools like Heretaunga College to small rural schools on the West Coast of the South Island, schools are enjoying the benefits of being connected to the Managed Network.

The connections in numbers:

  • 700 schools
  • 227,500 students accessing the Managed Network (roughly)
  • 9 months of connecting schools
  • 5 months ahead of schedule
  • 1000 schools = the new goal set by N4L