A RYEDALE school has become one of the first to link into the Government's National Grid For Learning initiative.

Malton School has received high-tech equipment valued at more than £5,000 after successfully bidding to join the BECTa 98 Portables for Schools Scheme.

It has been given two high specification computers, both with Internet access, colour printers, a digital camera and a library of CD-Rom reference material.

Deputy headteacher Stephen Fearnley said the school had to explain to BECTa - the British Educational Communications and Technology agency - how it would use such equipment.

He said: "We hope to further our use of computers for efficient management and to increase our awareness of the potential for education of the resources on the Internet.

"Our first training session was this week and we were very impressed by the hardware and software we have been awarded."Mr Fearnley said: "We even called in on the Press site at www.eveningpress.co.uk

"It is exciting to be at the forefront of this major initiative.

"The speed of development in information and communications technology is phenomenal, and we need to keep up with the pace."

The National Grid for Learning is a Government-supported initiative to bring the benefits of information and communications technology to all schools by 2002.

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