Educators confused by ICT in schools

22 September 2011

The majority of educators are unclear about what the Government wants them to do regarding ICT in schools, according to the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA).

The findings from the 14th annual ICT in UK State Schools report reveal that 52 per cent of primary schools and 59 per cent of secondary schools are unaware that the Government even has a policy towards ICT in schools. For those that are aware of the Government’s current plans, more than a quarter (23 per cent of primary schools and 29 per cent of secondary schools) think that the policy is both unclear and heading in the wrong direction.

The report, carried out in July this year, surveyed the views of 1,324 UK schools (772 primary, 552 secondary), and highlights that only a fifth of primary and just 12 per cent of secondary schools feel that current Government policy regarding ICT in schools is on the right path.

Having dissolved Becta last year, the body that was responsible for setting ICT buying frameworks and offering ICT advice to schools, the Government is now keen to give schools the freedom and autonomy to choose ICT tools themselves, in order to best satisfy the particular needs of their pupils. BESA’s research indicates that schools must look to what they have learnt from the embedding of technology over the past 15 years to progress.

Despite being unclear about Government policy, educators are certain of the educational benefits that using ICT in schools can bring to their pupils. Nearly half of all schools surveyed anticipate that their pupils will use ICT in more than 50 per cent of their school time by 2012/2013. What is more, 10 per cent of schools claim that nearly 100 per cent of pupil-time will involve exposure to ICT within the next two years.

With teachers set to maintain the use of ICT within schools, and laptops becoming even more popular, the LapCharger™ from LapSafe® Products can helps schools deliver continuous ICT provision right the way through the school day. The LapCharger™ desktop power point for laptops and netbooks can provide continuous power to devices from a single table-top location, allowing pupils to continue using a laptop once its battery has been drained.

The LapCharger™ is entirely safe for student use because just one power cable plugs into a wall socket, reducing the amount of AC adaptor leads littering the floor posing trip hazards. The desktop power point includes preconfigured cables to power laptops whilst in use, meaning that lesson time is not disrupted by having to return devices to a laptop trolley to recharge.

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