Syscap calls for approved supplier list for schools

Industry must act to shut out cowboy operators, claims leasing provider

A list of preferred education ICT suppliers is needed to protect schools from being sold down the river by rogue operators.

That is the view of finance provider Syscap, which claims schools have lacked guidance on ICT purchasing since the abolition of the government's technology agency, BECTA, in 2011.

The misselling of leased IT equipment to the schools market hit the headlines last month following a damning BBC exposé into the matter.

Syscap chief executive Philip White said the simple answer is to create a preferred supplier list by building on the membership of a trade association such as the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA).

White said: "Without wanting to underplay these problems, this misselling is perpetuated by fringe players within the ICT supply sector – businesses that are not subject to the standards or regulation of a trade association.

"Schools could commit to only purchasing from resellers that are willing to adhere to a proper code of conduct. The supplier's membership of a trade association could act as a seal of quality and of their proper ethical standards."

White claimed that future ICT investments among schools are most likely to be funded by leasing of some form.

"We need to ensure that schools can make those investments without having to worry about the credentials of the ICT supplier they are dealing with," he said.