LEARNING through multi-media hi-technologies is central to achieving Wales' goal of making lifelong education an everyday reality.

This was the message from Jane Davidson, minister for education and lifelong learning, when she opened an international conference on the subject in Cardiff. "E-Learning seems to mean different things to different people but in reality, it covers a range of activities," she said.

"E-learning offers both a tool for engaging learners and transforming learning experiences, and for increasing access to, opportunities for and participation in learning. With multi-media technologies, we can make learning materials more exciting and stimulating.

"The use of ICT enables students to learn at their own pace, at a time and in places which suit them. The learning process can be differentiated according to student needs and abilities.

"ICT can be used to provide access to specialist resources which a single school or college could not provide. It can also help people with special learning needs who might have difficulty accessing 'conventional' resources."

Ms Davidson said learning could also be interactive, allowing people to share ideas and materials and work together online.

"Participation in E-learning can also encourage more people to move into more formal learning routes and provide a stimulus to learning providers to improve the quality of off-line teaching and learning," she said.

She explained that ICT skills were now an essential part of most jobs. Research showed that developing basic ICT skills was one of the top priorities for employers in the future. The National Assembly and its partners were already taking action across a number of fronts to promote E-learning.

"It is absolutely essential that E-learning does not exacerbate inequalities in learning which arise from people's social and economic circumstances. We are therefore working to improve access to ICT for everyone in Wales," she said.

"We are working to ensure that every school, college, library and community-base learning centre in Wales is connected to a high speed broadband network within three years. We have already provided funding to deliver a broadband point of presence to every local authority and are well on target for getting these in place by the summer.

"We have already invested over £40 million to improve ICT provision in schools since 1998-9. A further £10 million is available next year, £8 million of which is being distributed to local education authorities to support procurement, training and technical support.

"The £12 million lottery-funded training package for school teachers and librarians complements this provision by providing training in he uses of ICT for subject teaching."