Oracle Receives Sponsor of the Year Award from the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust

18-MAY-2006

Oracle Recognized for Contribution to Promoting Technology in UK Education System

READING, UK - Oracle today announced it has been recognized as Sponsor of the Year for 2006 by the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT), the leading national body for secondary education in England. Ian Smith, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Oracle UK, Ireland and South Africa received the award from Jim Knight, Minister for School Standards and 14 - 19 Learning. SSAT presented the award to Oracle to to acknowledge its support of schools seeking specialist schools status by exposing students to critical technology and business skills for 21st century careers.
Oracle has partnered with the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust since 2003, pledging support to 70 schools, of which 36 have achieved specialist schools status. Oracle provides support through the Oracle Academy program, which is designed to help 16 - 19 year old students learn about the fundamentals of database and Java technology and provide them with the necessary skills to pursue academic and professional career opportunities.

"Oracle has clearly demonstrated its commitment to support education through supporting over 100 schools" said Sir Cyril Taylor, Chairman, the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust. "On behalf of the schools and students who have benefited from this support, SSAT is delighted to present them with this award"

Oracle is also working closely with the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust and the UK’s Department of Education and Skills to encourage involvement in the Oracle Education Foundation’s ThinkQuest competition. This is an international competition in which students and teachers are challenged to create the best educational websites. Winners attend an annual live event and the winners’ sites are hosted in the ThinkQuest Library, a free resource used by millions worldwide.

"This award honors the valuable contribution that Oracle and the Oracle Education Foundation maken to the education agenda" explained Ian Smith, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Oracle UK, Ireland and South Africa. "Oracle is committed to supporting efforts to give young people opportunities to experience and understand technology, because the pressures of the global economy means the future workforce will need both technical and business skills, if UK Plc is going to remain competitive"

The award was presented at the SSAT Annual Lecture at the Royal Opera House in London in front of an audience made up of the leading stakeholders in education in the UK.

About the Oracle Education Foundation
The Oracle Education Foundation sponsors ThinkQuest and Think.com, free online programs for the primary and secondary education community. It also makes grants to select schools and non-profits to bridge the digital divide and promote global collaborative learning with technology. For more information please visit http://www.oraclefoundation.org.

About the Oracle Academy
The Oracle Academy educates 10,000 students in 15 countries. The program helps participating students to develop database design, programming, project management, presentation, and problem-solving skills. At the same time, participating teachers are supported with world-class training and professional development, and the latest database and online learning technologies.

The Academy is one of four education initiatives that Oracle sponsors in support of technology education. To learn more about the program and Oracle’s Education Initiatives, visit http://academy.oracle.com.


About Oracle
Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) is the world’s largest enterprise software company. For more information about Oracle, please visit our Web site at http://www.oracle.com

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