The NSW Government's $365.8 million Rural Access Gap program has been named as a finalist in the 2022 iTnews Benchmark Awards.
Funded by the Department of Customer Service' (DCS) Digital Restart Fund, the Rural Access Gap program is closing the digital divide between rural and metropolitan schools when it comes to having access to digital tools, resources and internet connectivity.
DCS ICT Assurance Executive Director Mark Howard said the program was being delivered by the Department of Education with more than 217,000 students, 16,000 teaching staff and 6,500 admin support staff across more than 1,003 schools to benefit from the program by mid-2023.
"This important investment in the digital capacity of rural, regional and remote schools is already making significant strides in levelling the playing field," Mr Howard said.
"To be a finalist in the iTnews Benchmark Awards is great recognition of the amazing work the program is doing to empower students and teachers to achieve educational milestones, no matter where they live.
"It also reaffirms the important role the Digital Restart Fund plays in investing in digital transformation that foster customer-driven solutions and business transformation and collaboration across the NSW Government Sector."
NSW Department of Education Chief Information and Data Officer Sandie Matthews said there were more than 217,000 students that call remote, rural and regional NSW home and it was critical every one of them had access to education standards of students living in metropolitan areas.
"We are seeing first-hand the benefits of providing students and teachers in these communities with laptops and tablets, interactive classroom displays and high-speed internet connectivity," Ms Matthews said.
"We are making it easier than ever to deliver high-quality education to all corners of the state."
The winners of the iTnews Benchmark Awards will be announced at an awards ceremony hosted at KPMG in Sydney on 15 June.
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