In a speech at Brighton College, he said the government had taken every step to free teachers from outdated curricula and old-fashioned teaching methods.
"That is why we have disapplied - in other words, abolished - the national curriculum programme of study in ICT," he said.
Local authorities that have been encouraged towards sharing or outsourcing back-office services, such as facilities management, finance and human resources, are being forced to look wider and go deeper in the pursuit of future savings.
You would be forgiven for thinking that this was the worst mistake ever, as the press is full of stories of shared arrangements that end up costing more or joint arrangements that have fallen apart. Vivienne Russell pointed out some of the problems in her recent article for Public Finance magazine.
Moves to boost the roll-out of mobile broadband, which is essential to business growth and jobs, have been published today (3 May 2013) for consultation by the government.
Demand for mobile broadband - including 4G - among consumers and business is high and growing. Currently, 92% of individuals in the UK have a mobile phone and 39% of individuals own a smart phone with internet access. It is estimated the demand for mobile capacity will increase 80 fold by 2030, but regulations are holding up the roll-out of services in many parts of the country.
According to the statement, public sector agencies must “consider and fully evaluate potential cloud solutions first – before they consider any other option”. Government agencies will need to prove that they are saving costs if they choose to go with an on-premise model.
Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin, TD, appointed McCluggage to the role.
Read more: GB: Irish Government appoints CIO for the country