Vice President Gore and I have set a goal of connecting every classroom in America to the Internet. I'm pleased to announce that new Department of Education data show that more than half of all our Nation's classrooms are now connected—nearly twice as many connections as last year. And thanks to new E-rate discounts that help schools and libraries connect to the Internet, we'll reach our goal of every classroom and library connected by the year 2000.
Computers and new educational software can make a real difference in the way teachers teach and a student learns. Because of our efforts, children in poorer or isolated areas will now have access to the same universe of knowledge as children in the most affluent suburbs. All our children will be technologically literate and better prepared for the high-tech, high-wage jobs of the future. But we also must make sure that teachers are as comfortable with a computer as they are with a chalkboard. That's why Congress should support my $800 million educational technology initiative, including more than $100 million for technology training for the teachers themselves.
By giving our children the skills they need to succeed in the jobs of the future, we'll build a stronger nation for the 21st century. I want to especially thank Vice President Gore, who's done so much to put the future at the fingertips of our children.
NOTE: The President's remarks were recorded at approximately 1:40 p.m. on February 26 in the Manager's Office at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Francisco, CA, for later broadcast. These remarks were also made available on the White House Press Office Radio Actuality Line.
William J. Clinton, Radio Remarks on Internet Accessibility in Classrooms Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/229023
