One in three schools needs IT improvement

BESA report hints at VAR opportunity by concluding UK state schools are under-equipped for learning platforms as 2010 deadline nears

More than a third of UK state schools feel under-equipped to properly implement a learning platform, a study by trade association the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) has found.

BESA's eleventh annual ICT in UK State Schools report, which surveyed 764 primary schools and 562 secondary schools, was released this week (click here for link to report summary). It aims to reflect trends in how UK schools are using IT, particularly as new plans and technology implementations are rolled out at the start of the academic year.

The government has set every school the target of having a comprehensive array of learning platform technologies by 2010. But the report finds that 40 per cent primary schools and 32 per cent of secondary schools believe they are currently under-equipped.

The research also threw light on discrepancies in teachers' levels of confidence in using particular technologies. Two-fifths of IT co-ordinators in primary schools claim most teachers are highly confident in using interactive whiteboards. But just seven per cent of those at secondary level indicated they had the same level of confidence.

BESA director Ray Barker, "This concern is not surprising considering the range of sophisticated technologies with which teachers now have to work. Educators are recognising the need for professional development at all levels to ensure success in their classrooms. The big issue is ensuring that schools can afford to release staff to make the most of their investment.”