FOR RELEASE: Contact: Julie Green (202) 401-3026
June 4,1998
STATEMENT BY U.S. SECRETARY OF EDUCATION RICHARD W. RILEY On the E-Rate
The E-rate is one of the most important educational initiatives of the last twenty years. I am disturbed that some now want to derail this critical program to provide discounted Internet connections to our nation's schools and libraries.
An important fault line of the future is between those who have technology in education and those who don't. The E-rate will help bridge this gap. Right now, 27% of classrooms and only 14% of those in our nation's poorest communities, are linked to the Internet. To tell the 30,000 schools and libraries counting on these needed discounts that the power politics of the telecommunications companies are interfering with their education is not acceptable.
I vigorously oppose any effort to pull the plug on the E-rate and will do all I can to make sure that our nation's children get access to wired classrooms as soon as possible.
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