Free Web access for schools

It appears that Internet companies are falling over themselves to offer schools free Net access. London-based Internet company BiblioTech today officially unveiled Schoolmaster- - a free and safe Web-based community specifically geared towards schools, students and parents. More than 100 schools and 50,000 pupils throughout the UK have already signed up to the scheme. "We have developed a virtual community that exactly mirrors the government and most educationalists' desire to bring the Internet to all UK schools," said Manou Marzban, BiblioTech's director of marketing. As well as subscription-free Internet access, the service enables pupils, teachers and parents to interact and exchange information through e-mail, discussion groups and chat forums. And in a similar move to VossNet the more people use the service the more points they can earn which, in turn, can be redeemed for computer equipment for the school. ®