Stirling Primary’s commitment to innovation has seen the school welcome the return of one of its former pupils, Gareth Otte, a seasoned ICT professional who has joined its tech team to help shape the institution’s digital future.
Decades after walking the school’s corridors as a pupil, Otte has returned with a wealth of experience and a deep passion for empowering education through technology.
"[I will assist] in providing ICT support and assistance to 1,300 students, 93 teachers and staff, as well as parents.
“My goal is to also grow and educate myself in areas I am not completely skilled in, to maximise my complete skill set,” Otte said.
Reflecting on his school days, he said: “Although the school has grown dramatically since I left in 1986, it has brought back great memories — from photographs of teachers and prefects to the changerooms where I used to get changed for sport.
“Now in a different role, I hope I can help create the same positive memories for current pupils.”
Otte brings extensive ICT experience from the corporate sector and previous support roles at several schools.
“I come from a corporate background, which included providing support for schools, including Clarendon Primary, Abbotsford Christian School, Voorpos Primary, and St Anne’s, to name a few,” he said.
“My role is to help manage and support over 600 iPads and staff and teacher devices.
“I also maintain the local network including Wi-Fi access, assisting in firewall, content filtering, and server support.”
He joins the ICT department led by head of ICT Megan Gratz, whose leadership continues to drive digital transformation at Stirling.
“My role is to manage our three networks, firewalls and security, as well as the management of our Google domain,” Gratz said.
“I equip teachers, support staff, and office staff in weekly peer coaching sessions to give staff the confidence to use technology to its full potential.
“I also manage our school management system, called Ed-admin.
“We communicate via this platform with our parents who have it as an app on their phones.
“It is my responsibility to keep all things tech up and running.”
The school’s tech journey began in 1986 with its first computers.
By 2009, every classroom had a data projector and two computer labs were in operation.
“In 2013, we rolled out our one-to-one iPad programme with all learners in grades 4 to 7.
“Our most recent upgrade has been the installation of 36 interactive panels in all our classrooms, where teachers can record their lessons and upload them to Google Classroom,” she said.
“Our pupils are excited to learn as teaching is interactive, engaging, and personalised to reach all our students.
“Teachers are more efficient, creative, and productive. We invest in our teachers, equipping them with skills and introducing them to new educational apps to assist them to teach with tech confidently.”
Gratz added: “Children in 2025 grow up surrounded by technology, so we teach them how to use it responsibly and effectively from a young age to build crucial life skills.
“Many hours go into research, demos, sourcing quotations ... The SGB invested in our network infrastructure, some devices for staff and learners, and the installation of interactive panels in all our classrooms.
“We have also invested in our staff, upskilling them regularly, and we offer our popular Parent Power-Up sessions for our parents.”
Daily Dispatch
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