Monmouthshire County Council (MCC), in partnership with Torfaen County Borough Council, has secured a grant from the Welsh Assembly Government of £6 million for enhanced IT provision and improved learning opportunities for 14 to 16-year-olds.

This is in addition to the £2 million awarded earlier this year.

The money, along with a significant contribution from the two authorities, will be used to transform our schools' IT infrastructure, providing access for all 14 to 16-years-olds to laptop computers and training teachers to use the very latest IT based teaching equipment.

Liz Hacket Pain, MCC's cabinet member for children and young people, said: "This is incredible news for young people in Monmouthshire.

"It goes without saying that the very best use will be made of this money to equip our schools with an IT infrastructure to match the very best on offer in the UK.

"Combined with our already encouraging educational attainment and the planned improvements to our buildings that could come from the 21st Century Schools programme, I can see us soon being a UK leader in education."

The programme will be overseen by a project board taking in representatives from Monmouthshire and Torfaen as well as people from outside the two local authorities – including some from the Assembly.

The transformation in IT is expected to have an impact from the next academic year in September 2012.