Obama also called on the Federal Communications Commission to modernize and leverage its existing E-Rate program to meet that goal, the White House said in a release.
Obama, calling on businesses, states, districts, schools and communities to support his vision, also directed the federal government to make better use of existing funds to get Internet connectivity and educational technology into classrooms and teachers trained on its advantages.
The initiative does not require congressional action, the White House said.
“We are living in a digital age, and to help our students get ahead, we must make sure they have access to cutting-edge technology,” Obama said. “So today, I’m issuing a new challenge for America — one that families, businesses, school districts and the federal government can rally around together — to connect virtually every student in America’s classrooms to high-speed broadband Internet within five years, and equip them with the tools to make the most of it.”
Millions of students now lack high-speed broadband access and less than 20 percent of educators say their school’s Internet connection meets their teaching needs, the White House said in a release.
The White House said ConnectED will bring high-speed Internet within students’ reach, particularly benefiting rural communities that typically lag in connectivity.
Copyright 2013 United Press International, Inc. (UPI).
Can one say awkward timing?