‘It’s like Waiting for Godot at times’

PAT O’CALLAGHAN is principal of Burncourt National School, a two-teacher school in south Tipperary, where the 35 boys and girls find the internet a vital research tool, particularly for subjects like geography, history and science.

However, it is like Waiting for Godot sometimes trying to use the satellite broadband system in place.

“Pupils love using it to look up information on things as they come up in class, but you could spend 20 minutes sitting in front of a computer, trying to open one web page. Or you could be doing something online and be halfway through it when it breaks down, so you have to start again,” said Mr O’Callaghan, who teaches third to sixth class pupils.