ETC ANNOUNCES FREE SOFTWARE OFFER FOR SASKATCHEWAN

Saskatchewan Learning and the Educational Technology Consortium (ETC) are pleased to announce an offer of free academic use of selected Microsoft® software tools. This offer is extended to teachers and students in all provincially funded schools, independent schools, First Nations schools and the Saskatchewan Government Correspondence School.

"Saskatchewan Learning and the Educational Technology Consortium have listened to schools and school divisions across the province looking for better, more cost-effective ways to offer instruction in today's advanced software programs," Learning Minister Andrew Thomson said. "By working with vendors on behalf of schools and school divisions as a group, the ETC is now able to provide these tools free, at any time over the next five years, to any school in Saskatchewan with grades 10 to 12 that wishes to participate in the offer."

Over 90 schools in the province currently offering Computer Science 10 and 20 to more than 2,000 students will immediately benefit from receiving free academic use of the Microsoft® Visual Studio® .NET 2003 package, which includes Visual Studio 6.0 and Visual Basic® 6.0. An additional 120 distance education Computer Science students enrolled in the Correspondence School will also save the $399 cost to purchase that software, recommended for use in the online course. Other smaller schools not currently offering Computer Science may now explore delivery of the elective courses as options for their students. The ETC is also arranging $25,000 in professional development sessions for up to 60 teachers and IT Managers from schools or divisions taking advantage of this offer before the end of 2004.

"Microsoft Canada is pleased to be a part of this program, providing students and teachers in Saskatchewan with access to the latest software technology while preparing them for post secondary education and the workplace," Microsoft Canada Co-Vice President of Developer Platform Lasha Dekker said. "Working with the most sophisticated software development tools available, students will be limited only by their imagination in what they can create."

The Educational Technology Consortium is a partnership of all major educational stakeholders in the K-12 sector and includes the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation; Saskatchewan Association of School Business Officials; League of Educational Administrators, Directors and Superintendents; the Saskatchewan School Boards Association; all school divisions and Saskatchewan Learning.

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For More Information, Contact:

Jacquie McLean Learning Regina Phone: (306) 787-5609

Victoria Badgely Microsoft /High Road Communications Toronto Phone: (416) 368-8348